You Just Don't Know It
by jonasxsister
Summary: MOE: "I'm on the edge of crossing the line, I don't wanna blow it, show it, before you know you're mine." Miley gave her all for Nick, who didn't seem impressed. Little did she know, his brother was falling for her. REPOSTED, with LEGAL changes.
1. Introduction

**Hey guys! The original **_**You Just Don't Know It**_** was deleted. But don't worry, I'm reposting it. I'm also changing the last name of the Jonas Brothers to make the story legal. So in this new, re-edited version of **_**You Just Don't Know It**_**, (NEW UPDATE 11/2) I am switching the last names once again. I originally changed it from Jonas to Lucas. But that was too confusing for me. Their last name will now be Gray because it's just easier to picture them with the last name. Sorry for the many changes. **

**All ten chapters should be up by the end of the day. Chapter 11 should be up soon!**

**peacee xo **

**kayslee (: **


	2. First Impressions

**UPDATE 11/2: I changed the Jonas Brothers' last name again. Instead of Lucas, their last name is Gray. Sorry for the changes. **

* * *

Fifteen year old Miley Stewart stood in front of the glossy bathroom mirror, flicking her hair from side to side. She was debating whether to use the pin straight Hannah wig, or the wig decorated with subtle curls near the tips. "Come on, Miley. It shouldn't take this long to choose. It's not even real hair!" she scolded herself.

"Come on bud, we need to be at the venue in half an hour!" Robbie Ray called from downstairs. "The limo's already here!"

"I'm coming, Daddy!" was her reply. "Curse you, stupid hair." she muttered under her breath as she was forcing her curly brown hair up with bobby pins. As soon as she decided her hair was pinned tightly enough, her gaze shifted to the two wigs that lay before her on mannequin heads with blank faces. She stretched a pantyhose-like cap over her pinned hair and threw on the wig with curls, securing it with more bobby pins. She quickly checked her makeup before grabbing her purse and heading down the stairs.

"Bud, I am never going to let you do your own hair and make up again. Get in the limo, please." Robbie Ray ordered his daughter. Without hesitation, Miley scrambled out the door and into the awaiting stretch limousine. Robbie Ray quickly followed, and slid into the seat next to her. "Step on it, Mike." he told the driver.

"Daddy, I am so psyched for this Hannah concert!" Miley shrieked, brushing a loose strand of Hannah hair out of her face.

"And why is that?" Robbie Ray asked, although he already knew the answer.

"I'm gonna meet the **Gray Brothers**!" **(A/N: Happy, fanfiction?)** she chimed in a singsong voice. "I have had my eyes on that adorable Nick Lucas for the longest time."

Robbie Ray's blood level rose as he heard his daughter talk about yet _another _boy. "Now Miley, you sure you want to get into another relationship? You sure wouldn't want to relive that whole Jake Ryan escapade."

Miley rolled her eyes. The one thing she hated most was when her father butted into her love life. "Dad, I know the couple thing between us ended bitterly, but we're on good terms."

"…After nearly wrecking one of his movies." he finished for her.

Miley huffed and folded her arms, "Just because I had a little trouble with Jake, it doesn't mean every single one of my relationships will end up the same. When I talk to Nick after the show, I do _not _want you to go all protective on me."

"It's all because I love you, baby girl." Robbie Ray said, before their mouths stayed shut for the rest of the ride.

* * *

"Thank you, Malibu! Good night!" Miley blew one last kiss to her cheering fans before rushing backstage. She grabbed a chilled water bottle off the nearby concession table and took a long sip.

"Hey Hannah, there's some boys who'd like to meet you." said Robbie Ray, leading three boys to her daughter.

Miley near choked on her water as she caught sight of the three boys standing in front of her. "Oh my gosh, hi!" she squealed. "I'm Hannah Montana; it's so nice to meet all of you." She shook all of their hands before turning to Nick. "I'm especially excited to meet you Nick."

Nick shrugged and grinned. "Thanks."

"Thanks? Thanks? Is that all you can say? How can you be this calm? Nick, it's _Hannah Montana_!" Joe exclaimed, placing his hands on Nick's shoulders.

Kevin gently pushed Joe to the side. "You'll have to excuse him, Hannah. He's a little hyper. You did an amazing job, great concert."

Miley blushed at the sweet comment. "That's so sweet, thank you. What did you think of the concert, Nick?"

"It was really good." he replied.

Miley's heart sunk. She knew Nick meant that he liked the concert, but she was hoping for a little more chemistry between them. After all, they were very close in age. She decided to shake it off and turned to Joe. "What did you think, Joe?"

"I thought it was awesome. You were beautiful." Joe told her honestly.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Kevin decided to break the tension. "Listen Hannah, we're going to a movie premiere Friday night. We would love it if you could come with us."

"A movie premiere?" Miley's eyes lit up. "That sounds like so much fun! I would love to go with you guys!"

"Great." Kevin replied. "We'll pick you up Friday night at 7…?"

Miley glanced at her dad, who was sitting in a corner; contently watching Miley's every movie. "Can I?" she mouthed to her father. He sent an approving nod her way, causing her to squeal. "I'll see you Friday night." she told them. They said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.

"Looks like you really hit it off with those boys." Robbie Ray told his daughter as they slid into the limousine.

"They are so awesome, Dad. Thank you so much for inviting them to the concert. They are _so _cute." Miley swooned as she looked out the window, staring at the moonlit surroundings.

"Did that Nick boy ask you out?" Robbie Ray asked anxiously. He was already grilling up tactics to throw at Nick for taking his little girl in the back of his mind.

"Sadly, no." Miley said, a frown forming on her face. "But I've still got Friday to change his mind. I will look absolutely stunning. So stunning, that Nick would be crazy not to fall for me."

"What happened to the girl who thought boys had cooties?" Robbie Ray asked himself, glancing at his maturing, boy-crazy daughter.

* * *

"I still can't believe you met the Gray Brothers!" Lilly shrieked, squeezing her best friend half to death.

"Lilly…can't…breathe." Miley managed to choke out.

"Sorry." Lilly said, letting go of her friend. "You are so amazingly lucky. I would do anything to meet the Gray Brothers."

Miley giggled, "Maybe next time Lola will think before nearly taking off her wig on a red carpet. Then I will consider taking you to meet them."

Lilly sighed, "It was only one time, Miley."

"Forget it, Lilly. We'll talk about that later. Let's go to the mall and pick out a dress for me to wear to the premiere. I so want to impress Nick."

Lilly raised her eyebrows, "So after all that bragging that you and Nick would end up together after meeting for the first time, it never happened?"

"Alright, I admit. Maybe the bragging was a little much. That's why you and I should get to the mall right away. We need to find the perfect dress, the perfect accessories, _everything._"

* * *

"What do you think Lilly? Does this dress say: _I will so impress a rock star_?" Miley asked, modeling a leafy green, floor-length gown.

Lilly wrinkled her nose, "Nah. To me, it says _I belong at the top of a tree_."

Miley grabbed another dress off the rack and headed back into the dressing room. She came back out wearing another floor-length gown, but in a striking violet color. "What about this one?" Miley asked hopefully.

"You look like a glass of grape juice." Lilly said honestly. "Try the next one."

"Ugh!" Miley groaned before storming back into the dressing room. This time, she came out wearing a silky black dress that fell just above her knees. "This one?" Miley asked, losing her patience.

Lilly's jaw dropped. "Miley, it's perfect! Look at yourself!" she said, directing Miley towards the mirror.

"I look amazing!" Miley exclaimed as she stared at her reflection. Other than the dirty white socks that bordered her ankles, she looked absolutely perfect. All she needed to do was find accessories and jewelry that would match the dress. She scurried back into the dressing room to put her clothes back on. She came out with the black dress folded neatly over her arm. "Let's go pay."

The woman at the cash register looked strangely at Miley and Lilly. "You look awfully young to be buying a $3000 dress."

"It's my birthday." Miley lied to the woman. "Daddy's always out of town and he feels sorry that he can't be here for my special day. He told me I could buy whatever I wanted." The lady seemed to buy Miley's story and graciously accepted Miley's credit card.

Lilly tugged on Miley's shirt. "Miley! What's your dad going to say when he finds out how much you spent on a dress?"

Miley bit her lip, since she had been thinking about the consequences herself. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I dipped into Hannah's account. I mean, he knows that Hannah has to look good for her fans."

* * *

"Can't Hannah look good for her fans in something she already owns?" an angry Robbie Ray yelled.

"Yeah Dad, just go ahead and let your anger out." Jackson said as he watched from the armchair he was sitting in.

"Stay out of this, Jerk-son!" Miley snapped at her older brother. "Daddy, I'm sorry. I just wanted to look perfect for the premiere. You have to understand."

"What is there for me to understand?" asked Robbie Ray. "You used the Hannah card without telling me, you disobeyed me! You can't go into Hannah's account like it's no big deal!"

Miley sighed, "But Daddy, Hannah—_I _make enough money for the entire family. And I work really hard to earn that money. Can't I dip into Hannah's funds at least once?"

Robbie Ray opened his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it. His daughter had made a point. She _was _the one who made the money, and it killed him to yell at his little girl. "Alright, Miley. You made your point. You _are _the one that makes the money, and it's only fair that you get to spoil yourself with it every once in a while."

"So I can keep the dress?" Miley asked.

"Yes bud, you can keep the dress." he answered.

"Eeeep! Thank you so much, Daddy! I love you!" she squealed, embracing her father in a tight hug.

"Now hold up, darling. This doesn't mean you can use Hannah's money whenever you want. And promise me you'll remember that the next time you see something you like at the mall." he told her.

Miley nodded, "I promise, Daddy."

"Alright, now don't let that beautiful dress go to waste. Go get ready for that premiere." Robbie Ray said. Miley was more than happy to get ready, as she was already halfway up the stairs.

* * *

After applying her makeup and slipping on her dress, Miley pinned up her hair and placed her Hannah wig on. The wig had been set into soft waves, which Miley's hairdresser, Tiffany, had done especially for tonight. Lilly, who had been invited over to help Miley get ready, grinned from ear to ear. "You look gorgeous, Miley."

Miley blushed, "Thanks. I'm so glad we decided on this dress. I haven't had a second thought about it since." Miley headed over to her dresser and gently clipped her diamond heart necklace around her neck. She slid her wrist into a silver-studded bracelet before applying an extra layer of apricot flavored lip gloss to her lips. She smacked her lips in front of the mirror before heading over to Hannah's miraculous shoe closet. She slipped on her new pair of heels: shiny black pumps with gentle rhinestone accents near the points. She smoothed out her dress before turning to Lilly, "Do I look okay?"

"Heck yeah! You look absolutely stunning." Lilly assured her. They linked arms and exited the room, Miley briefly stopping to close the door behind her. They made their way down the stairs, where Robbie Ray was waiting.

"You look beautiful, Miley." he said.

Miley grinned before hugging her dad, "Thank you, Daddy. And once again, thanks for letting me keep the dress."

"No problem, baby girl. After seeing how stunning you look, I don't regret letting you keep it." Miley blushed as the doorbell rang.

"There's my ride. Bye Jackson! Bye Daddy!" Miley said, before Lilly stopped her at the door.

"Remember Miley, you look great. Now, go get your man." Lilly encouraged.

Miley smiled as she pulled her best friend into a hug, "Don't worry, I will." Little did she know, Nick wouldn't be blown away by her ensemble. What she really didn't know, was another brother _would be_.


	3. The Plan

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hannah Montana or the Jonas--I mean _Gray _Brothers. Bleh.**

* * *

Miley, as Hannah, breathed deeply before opening the door, expecting to see Nick. "Hey Ni—Joe?" she asked in surprise.

"What Hannah? You're not happy to see me?" he asked jokingly, handing Miley a rose.

"No, not at all. I'm so happy you're here. I just wasn't expecting you to come to the door." She looked down at the white rose and smiled. "It's beautiful, Joe. How did you know white roses are my favorite?"

Joe shrugged, "Let's just say I have my fair share of Hannah knowledge. You look stunning."

Miley smiled, "Is Nick in the car?" She couldn't wait to see his reaction to her dress.

Joe's smile faded, "Yeah, he is. And so is Kevin. Let's go, we wouldn't to be late." He led Miley to the car and opened the door of the limo for her, sliding in after her.

"Hi Nick," Miley greeted sweetly.

Nick turned to her and grinned, "Hey. You look nice." he said before turning towards Kevin.

"Thanks." Miley said before mentally slapping herself. _You're coming on too strong_, she thought. After recollecting her thoughts for a few minutes, she looked up to see Joe staring intently at her.

Joe quickly looked away. "Are you excited for the premiere?" he asked to no one in particular.

"Yeah!" Kevin quickly replied.

"Maybe we'll pick up a few girls." Nick said jokingly, before he and Kevin were engaged in a conversation about which female celebrities would be around them.

Miley's stomach turned as she listen to Nick ramble on and on about girls. Couldn't he tell that she was trying to lead him on? She blinked rapidly, returning to reality. She realized that Joe, too, had joined the conversation. Apparently, Emma Watson _and _Jessica Alba would be at the premiere. She smiled at the sight of the three boys, but the smile was quickly wiped off her face and she returned to a state of gloom. She wasn't conceited, but why wouldn't Nick be interested? She _was _teen pop sensation Hannah Montana. Normally every other teen male celebrity would be head over heels for her. Why was Nick so different? Miley was shaken out of her thoughts when Joe waved a hand in front of her face.

"Huh? What?" she asked.

"Hannah, we're here." Joe said, as the driver opened the door of the limousine. As Miley and the brothers stepped out of the car, the restless crowd erupted into roaring cheers.

"It's the Gray Brothers! Oh my God, Hannah Montana is here too!" Miley smiled at the comments she heard being thrown out every few seconds. Her publicist, Janine, who had arrived separately, ran up to her and directed her towards a spot at the red carpet.

"Pose here, honey." Janine told Miley. "After picture taking, you will be escorted into the theater and answer questions for the press." Miley nodded and smiled for the cameras. After a few dozen flashes, she glanced over at Nick, who was signing autographs for girls. She sighed as she looked at all the girls who were throwing themselves at him. He seemed to be enjoying the attention. She tried her best to shake it off and modeled for the cameras. Ten minutes later, she was escorted into the theater by two strong men, whom she assumed were bodyguards. Immediately after entering the theater, reporters from E! News, Access Hollywood, Extra, and Entertainment Tonight swarmed around her.

"Hannah, is it true that you have a little thing for Nick Gray?" a reporter from Access Hollywood asked.

Miley's throat ran dry. She hated it when her dad butted into her love life, and she didn't need the media to but in as well. "No," she lied. "We're just friends. I do think he is really cute, though. But hey, he's a Gray Brother. I ain't the only one thinking that." she giggled lightly. After a few more questions, she was ushered into the screening room and was seated next to the Jonas Brothers.

"Fancy seeing you here," Joe joked as he treated her with a smile.

Miley smiled before looking past him, staring at Nick. "Do you mind if I switch seats with you, Joe?"

Joe frowned before giving in, "Sure, I guess." He reluctantly got up and switched seats with Miley. _Can't she tell that he's not interested? _he thought to himself.

"Are you enjoying the premiere Nick?" asked Miley.

"Yeah Hannah," Nick replied. "I love the reaction I'm getting from the girls. Usually I'd try to avoid them, but they just look so pretty. They're all dressed up."

_I'm all dressed up too, _Miley thought. She tried to bring up her dress as casually as possible, "My best friend Lola and I spent hours looking for the perfect dress for me. I'm so glad we came across this one. It fits me like a glove, and I think it's a stretch from what I usually wear."

Nick quickly glanced at the dress, "It's really nice." he said before turning his attention to the screen. Miley sighed and leaned back in her chair. Instead of watching the movie, she thinking up ways to get Nick to notice her. _His brothers know him pretty well, _she thought. _Joe seems pretty nice. He's been talking to me and seems pretty outgoing. Maybe he'll help me get Nick_. She spent the rest of the movie's running time perfecting her plan, letting out a slightly evil chuckle every now and then.

* * *

The after party was the part of the premiere everybody looked forward too. It was time for food, drink, and dancing. Miley downed her third glass of punch before waving Joe over. "Joe!" she hollered.

Joe turned to her and smiled before making his way over. "Yeah?" he asked, excitement obvious in his eyes.

"Do you want to dance?" she asked, nodding her head towards the crowded dance floor.

Joe's eyes lit up, "Dance? I'd love to!"

They headed towards the dance floor and Miley began moving to the beat. "Are you and Nick close?" Miley asked him.

Joe gulped. _She's talking about Nick again_? "Me and Nick? Yeah, we're pretty close. We fight every now and then, but it's all good. Why?"

"Well, I have the _biggest _crush on Nick." Miley confessed.

Joe blinked. "Nick?" He tried his best to plaster a fake smile on his face. "You two would make a cute couple." he lied.

"You really think so?" Miley asked excitedly.

"Y-yeah. You two are very close in age. It couldn't be more perfect." Joe's voice cracked as he encouraged her.

"It's great that you agree with me on this. Since you know Nick really well, could you help me…get with him?" she asked, batting her eyelashes.

Joe was taken aback, "Help you? How? I'm not the matchmaking type."

Miley laughed, "Come on, Joe. Please, all I'm asking is that you maybe drop some hints? Tell me what he looks for in a girl."

"He likes gothic girls who dress in black." Joe joked.

"That's great. Now…the truth?" she asked expectantly.

Joe rolled his eyes. "He likes girls who are laid back. He's really interested in girls who are sensitive and know how to chill. He doesn't like it when girls are too hyper and crazy. I, on the other hand, am the complete opposite of that. I _love _girls who are hyper and aren't afraid to have fun." Joe said, dropping his own hint.

"I can be laid back," Miley said, more to convince herself than to reply to Joe. "I guess I do need to tone down my hyper-ness just a tad."

"You're perfect the way you are." Joe said.

Miley smiled, "_Nobody's _perfect, Joe." she said in 'duh' tone. "You of all Hannah fans would know that." He smiled back and they shared a laugh.

* * *

After returning home from the premiere the previous night, Miley had convinced the Joe to meet her at a nearby Starbucks to get _Operation Get Nick _into action. Miley slipped into a hoodie, pulling the hood over her Hannah wig. She dipped her feet into a simple pair of flats and slid a pair of sunglasses over her blue eyes. She threw her phone into her purse and headed out to the driveway, where Jackson was waiting in his car. "Why am I doing this for you again?" he asked as he began to back out of the driveway.

"Because if you don't, I'll tell Dad what you _really _did last summer." Miley said.

Jackson shuddered, "Fine, but don't get used to it. I am not going to be Hannah's new chauffeur." A few minutes later, Jackson's car pulled up to the local Starbucks. "Call me when you're ready to be picked up."

Miley nodded and headed inside. "Joe!" she whispered loudly.

Joe looked up from his iced frappuccino and waved. "Hey." He, too, was in disguise. The green hood of his sweatshirt covered his hair and his signature pair of white Ray Bans shielded his eyes.

"Let's get this plan into action," she said, as she took a seat across from him. "Have you dropped Nick any hints?"

Joe's heat sunk, "Yeah. I told him that you thought he looked really nice."

"What did he say?" Miley questioned.

"He said he thought your hair looked really nice. He likes it when your hair is wavy rather than straight. But that's all he said." explained Joe.

Miley nodded, "That's a start. What other hints did you drop?"

"That was it." replied Joe.

"Joe!" Miley scolded. "How can you expect this plan to work if you're barely doing your part?"

"Why does it matter? The only reason I'm agreeing to do this is to spend time with you." he muttered under his breath.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. What did you say?" Miley asked, confused.

Joe bit his lip, "Nothing. There was something in my throat." He could feel his cheeks flushing. "Enough of that, back to the plan."

"Alright. I was thinking maybe we could all hang out again…as a group. Not at a premiere or concert or anything, but at a restaurant. That way, Nick and I could get to know each other a little better." she explained.

Joe sighed, "Yeah…great idea."

"You okay?" Miley asked. "You seem a little disappointed."

"No, I'm fine. I'm just a little tired, that's all. A restaurant sounds great. Which one do you have in mind?" he asked in curiosity.

"I was thinking Beso, you know…that new place owned by Eva Longoria-Parker?" suggested Miley.

"That's a little pricey, Hannah." Joe said, a bit unsure.

Miley raised her eyebrows, "Hey, come on! I'm Hannah Montana, you're a Gray Brother. We can afford it."

"Yeah, I guess." Joe said. "Does next Saturday work for you? We have a concert early that evening, but we can all meet up afterwards."

"Saturday sounds great!" she squealed. "Leave all the reservation stuff to me."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Don't even worry about it." Miley wiped the sweat off her forehead. Her wig was really bothering her and she was dying to take it off. But of course, she couldn't take it off in front of Joe. "I'm gonna head on home." she told him.

Joe got up, "Do you want me to walk you out?"

"NO!" she shrieked. "I mean, no, it's fine. I'll walk myself out. And I'll go out the back entrance so no one will see me." She quickly waved goodbye and ran around the corner of the unusually large Starbucks. Instead of running out the door, she ran into the bathroom and locked the door. She took off her wig and pulled out her bobby pins. She took off her sunglasses as well, and stuffed all her items into the large pocket of her sweatshirt. To make sure no one saw she was wearing the same clothes as Hannah, she took off her sweatshirt. Miley sighed and looked at herself in the mirror. She was tired of having to dress as Hannah whenever meeting up with the Gray Brothers. She was being herself when she was with them, so why couldn't she show them her true self as well?

"If I'm gonna make my relationship with Nick work," Miley told herself. "He's gonna have to know the real me. And who knows? Maybe he'll like Miley more than he likes Hannah. The next time I see the Gray Brothers, I'm gonna tell them my secret." Miley felt butterflies swarm her stomach as she spoke those words. Could she really trust them with a secret that serious? "If I really want Nick to like me, I guess it's a sacrifice I'll have to make." She looked in the mirror one last time before deciding she would think it over at home. She got out of the bathroom and went out the door.

As Joe finished the last sip of his iced frappuccino, someone outside caught his eye. It was a girl with the same blue eyes as Hannah Montana. Her silky brown hair was gently curled and her cheeks had a light pinkish glow. "Whoa," Joe muttered to himself. This girl was just as pretty as Hannah Montana…maybe even prettier. He threw his plastic cup away and ran towards the door. He saw the girl walk towards a car, driven by a sandy haired boy who was apparently her older brother. He heard him say her name as she got into the car. Her strange name trembled at the tip of Joe's tongue, causing him to smile. "Miley…"


	4. The Real Me

**NO, I don't own Hannah Montana or the..._Gray _Brothers. Geez. **

* * *

Joe stood in the bathroom of the venue, carefully combing his hair. For the past few days, his mind had been preoccupied with that Miley girl he had seen at Starbucks. He still had a serious crush on Hannah, but he was starting to lean towards Miley considering Hannah was still madly obsessed with Nick. Joe told himself he would hang out at the local Starbucks until he saw Miley once more. Joe was shaken out of his thoughts when Nick came into his view.

"Looking good, bro." Nick commented.

"Thanks Nick." Joe said, not taking his eyes off of the mirror.

Nick raised an eyebrow, "Excited for our dinner with Hannah, buddy?" he asked. "You usually never comb your hair. You said you liked letting your hair _run wild_."

"It's a fancy restaurant." Joe replied. "I need to look good."

"…For Hannah?" Nick assumed, hiding a smile.

"W-what makes you say that?" Joe stuttered as he set his comb down by the sink.

"Isn't it obvious?" Nick smirked. "You were practically drooling over her at the premiere. Everyone can see it."

"I was not!" Joe countered. "I was just being friendly. Trust me; I am not interested in her like that. Besides, haven't you noticed that she's been coming on to you?"

"No she isn't," Nick said with a laugh. "She's just being nice, that's all. If this helps you out, I give you my permission to date Hannah."

Joe shook his head, "Shut up, Nick. Besides, I've got my eyes on this other chick."

"Really?" Nick asked.

"Mhm." answered Joe. "She is _gorgeous_. She's got the prettiest blue eyes and amazing brown hair."

"That's great. You go get your girl." Nick said before exiting the bathroom.

"Yeah," Joe mumbled. He turned on the faucet and let the water run. He splashed the cold water onto his face and wiped it with a paper towel. _It doesn't matter if Hannah likes Nick_, he tried to convince himself. _Who cares if I still like her…a lot? But it's okay, I'll meet up with that Miley girl at Starbucks, and I'll forget all about Hannah_.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to tell them your secret?" Oliver asked as he lay sprawled out on an armchair in Miley's room.

"Yeah Miley, are you sure you can trust them?" Lilly asked as she applied a layer of mascara to Miley's eyelashes.

Miley sighed, "It's not like I'm telling my secret to complete strangers. We've gotten really close over the two weeks we've known each other."

"We were friends with you for three years before you spilled your secret to _us_." Oliver reminded her.

"But what if Nick likes the real me better than Hannah?" Miley asked.

Lilly placed her hands on her hips. "Miley, you're being totally selfish. The world won't end if you and Nick never get together. Your life doesn't depend on it. Are you sure you want to risk all that just for a relationship that might not even last? I mean, I would understand if you were twenty-five and deeply in love, but you're fifteen for God's sake! What if it's just puppy love?"

Miley was taken aback by Lilly's outburst. "I get what you're saying, Lilly. But I _really _like Nick. And if we don't work out, we can still be close friends. And the boys knowing my secret will make our friendship even stronger."

Lilly sighed, "If that's what you want Miley, then okay. But if all goes wrong, you've gotta deal with the consequences."

* * *

"Hey boys!" Miley squealed as she slid into the booth.

Kevin grinned at her, "Hey Hannah. Thanks for inviting us to Beso. I've been wanting to come ever since it opened."

"It's was no problem at all," she said with a chuckle. "We're friends, right? This is what friends do for each other." She picked up a menu and turned to Nick. "What are you planning on getting, Nick? Do you want to share something?"

Nick shrugged, "No thanks, Hannah. I hear they have the best steaks in town. I'm really hungry, so I'd like one to myself."

Miley nodded, trying to hide her disappointment. "Sounds good. I might just have to try one of those steaks myself." she said as she scooted closer to him. "What's wrong Joe? You haven't said a word all night."

"He's fine," replied Kevin. "He's been thinking about a girl all night long."

"Oh really?" Miley asked in an interested tone. "What's her name? What's she look like? Tell me all about her."

Joe bit his lip, "I'd rather not."

"Come on, Joe! In interviews you come across as a huge flirt. Now you won't even tell me about a girl you like?"

_I do still like Hannah, _Joe thought. _And I really like Miley. But, I don't want to completely get rid of my feelings for Hannah_. He gulped, "Nah. This is dinner, not twenty questions."

"But what's dinner without conversation to spark up the fun?" questioned Miley. "Please, Joe?"

Joe sighed heavily before reluctantly starting to speak, "Fine. Her name is Mi—" Joe was interrupted when Miley's cell phone rang.

"One second," she whispered. "Hey Lola." She excused herself from the booth and headed into the ladies' restroom.

"Have you told them yet?" Lilly asked on the other line.

"Are you kidding me? I got here like ten minutes ago. I want to get some good conversation going. You know, I want to be in a comfortable environment when I tell them my secret, not just yell it out."

"Just think it over one more time, okay?" suggested Lilly.

Miley groaned, "Lilly, we've been over this. I've made my decision, I want to tell them. If things end disastrously, it will be my fault and I'll have to deal with consequences."

"Just be careful." Lilly told her with concern.

"Trust me, Lilly. I know what I'm doing." Miley reassured her.

"Alright, then. Call me when you get back."

"Will do." Miley stuffed her phone in her purse and made her way back to the booth. "Sorry about that, boys. My best friend just wanted to make sure I was okay."

"Why wouldn't you be okay?" Kevin asked in confusion.

Miley's breath nearly stopped. _Should I tell them? Is the timing right_? She paused, looking each brother in the eye. _I'll wait until after dinner to break the news_. "Oh, it's nothing. She's just a little worrywart, that's all." She brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face and shifted her gaze to Joe. "So what about this girl?"

Joe blushed, "Well, she's got really pretty hair. And I saw her at Starbucks the other day."

Miley, completely oblivious to the fact that the girl was her, carried on with the conversation. "Aw!" she squealed. "Joe's got himself a little girlfriend! So answer my question…what's her name?"

Joe breathed deeply before opening his mouth to speak. "Her name's Mi—"

"It's Hannah Montana!" a crowd of photographers screeched from the restaurant's entrance.

"Hey! No photographers allowed!" the maitre'd yelled from his podium. The photographers seemed to ignore the man's outbursts as they continued storming into the restaurant. They pushed their way through the endless sea of customers and finally arrived at their booth.

"Look over here, sweetheart!" a photographer shouted.

"Oh no, not again. I'm so sorry guys." Miley told the brothers.

"It's no problem. We understand _completely_." Kevin said. "Let's get out of here before things get even crazier." The rest of the group quickly agreed and hurried out of the restaurant. They ran into the restaurant's parking lot and jumped into Kevin's car. "How ridiculous is that?" Kevin asked. "We didn't even get to eat!"

"I swear, the paparazzi get worse and worse every time." Nick muttered as he ran his fingers through his hair.

Kevin inserted the key into the jack and fired up the ignition. "Are you guys still hungry?"

"Are you kidding me? Heck yeah! A pop star's gotta eat!" Miley exclaimed, patting her stomach.

"Why don't we check out the In-N-Out down the street? I don't think there would be many photographers there." said Joe.

"What do you say Hannah? Do you like In-N-Out?" Nick asked, grinning.

Miley giggled and twirled a piece of Hannah hair. She treated Nick with an oversized grin, "I love In-N-Out, Nick!" Joe made a gagging noise from the passenger seat.

"In-N-Out it is, then." Kevin said as he pulled out of the parking space. Not much later, Kevin pulled up to the nearby In-N-Out. Kevin ordered as soon as they went inside, since they had discussed what they wanted on the way there. Miley, Nick, and Joe sat in a booth and made themselves comfortable.

"Crazy night, huh?" asked Joe.

Miley nodded, "I'll say. I really wanted to enjoy a night at Beso, but this is nice too."

"Yeah." Nick agreed. "It's quiet and peaceful, just the way I like it."

"Me too," Miley added sweetly and snuggled up to him. Nick coughed awkwardly and shook it off, nodding as Kevin came back to the table with their food.

After scarfing down their food for at least ten minutes, Miley spoke up. "This is nice. It's great to know that I can have fun with you guys at a little burger joint like this. I can tell we're going to be really close."

"I can see it now," Kevin began. "We could become the best of friends. This is gonna be great. We're really lucky to have met you Hannah."

Miley smiled weakly as she felt butterflies invading her stomach again. They _had _become pretty close. She really wanted them to be able to call her 'Miley' instead of 'Hannah.' "Thanks for the food, guys." she said as she collected her things. She pulled out her cell phone to call Jackson before Kevin stopped her.

"Do you want us to give you a ride home?" he asked.

"That'd be great!" She stuffed her phone back into her purse and followed them out to the car. As soon as she got into the back seat and strapped herself in, she decided it was the right time. She looked out the window to see if there were any photographers or passersby. "Guys, I have something to tell you."

Joe, who was thinking about Miley, was shaken out of his thoughts by Miley's voice. "What is it, Hannah?"

Miley smiled faintly at Nick before taking a deep breath. She gulped, "I'm Hannah Montana…" she informed.

The boys shot her a 'no duh' look.

Miley ran her fingers through her wig before continuing on. "…but I'm also someone else."

She looked at each of the three boys, taking in the strange looks they were giving her. Her shivering hands grabbed the roots of her wig, slowly loosening her grip when she began to have second thoughts. _It's too late now, Miley. You've started, and you've got to finish. _She pulled the wig off her head and closed her eyes tightly. When she opened them, her vision revealed Kevin, Joe, and Nick staring at her in awe. Miley's voice shook as she started speaking again, "My name is Miley…and I live a double life as Hannah Montana." Miley's eyes widened as she noticed Joe's reaction. Was he really crying? Was he mad? Disappointed? In shock? What about her secret could possibly bring him to tears?

"Excuse me…" he said as he stepped out of the car.


	5. Standing Beside Me All Along

"Joe! Joe!" Miley shouted as she chased him. "What's going on? You okay?"

Joe stopped in his tracks and plopped onto a nearby bench. "Listen Hannah—Miley, I'll be fine. Trust me. It's just a little…overwhelming. I'll get used to it."

"Are you sure? Something seems to be bothering you. You seemed a bit quiet at dinner." Miley said, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Joe brushed her hand off and stood up, "I told you! I'll be FINE!" Without another word he made his way to the car, Miley quietly following. Instead of going back in, she stopped at the door.

"If it's okay with you guys, I'd like my brother to come pick me up." Miley said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kevin raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure? It's pretty late."

Miley shook her head, "I'll be fine. The original plan was for my brother to pick me up anyway. He's probably wondering why I haven't called. Thanks for dinner." she smiled faintly at Kevin and Nick, then tried her hardest to smile at Joe, who had his arms folded across his chest.

"You're welcome, Hannah. I mean, Miley." Nick replied, his voice not used to saying her name; her _real_ name.

Miley bit her lip. She didn't want to leave on an angry note with Joe. "Good night, Joe." she cooed in the happiest voice possible.

"Good. Night." he huffed, not even turning to face her. Miley waved one last time before directing herself to the sidewalk. She watched as Kevin's car drove away before pulling out her phone. She opened up her contacts and scrolled for Jackson's number. The phone rang three times before Jackson picked up.

"Hello?" he answered, stifling a yawn.

"Jackson?" Miley asked. Her voice was cracking as she was on the verge of tears. "Can you come pick me up?"

Jackson stood up off of the couch he was sitting on and grabbed his keys off the counter. "Of course, Miley. Where are you?"

Miley sniffled, "I'm in front of the In-N-Out on Mareblu Street."

"I'll be right there," Jackson told his little sister. "Now go back inside, I don't want you waiting out in the cold."

Miley wiped an oncoming tear, "Okay Jackson." She did as her brother said and went inside. As soon as she settled herself at a table she dug her head into her hands, bawling her eyes out. What was she thinking? Of course something like this was bound to happen.

_I'm so stupid, _Miley thought. _Of course one of them was going to be mad_. _It IS a huge deal._ _To top it off, Nick didn't seem any more impressed than he was before. Lilly was right. I was just wasting my time by telling them._ Miley looked up to see a bus boy staring at her. "What are you looking at?" she asked, rubbing her eyes which were red and puffy from crying. The bus boy quickly finished up the table he was cleaning and moved on to the next. Miley blew of chunk of hair out of her face and groaned loudly.

"Miles?" Jackson asked, holding open the door. "You ready to go home?"

Miley gathered her things and stood up, "Yeah. Let's go."

* * *

Early the following Monday, Miley walked into Seaview High School, tightly clutching her textbooks. "I hate school," she mumbled as she dragged herself to her locker. She twisted her lock, swung the door open, and stuffed her books inside. As she slammed her locker shut, she turned to see Lilly bouncing up to her.

"How was dinner with the Gray Bros? You never called me on Saturday night to tell me how it went." she explained, jumping up and down with excitement.

"You were right, I was wrong. Are you happy?" Miley asked grumpily as she turned away and started walking.

Lilly's jaw dropped. "Did Nick hurt you? Wait till I get my hands on him." Lilly said as she caught up to her friend.

Miley turned around to face Lilly, "Nick didn't hurt me. Joe did."

"What?" Lilly asked in shock. "Joe? How?"

"I don't know. Once I revealed my secret to them, he spazzed out. I tried to go and talk to him but he kept pushing me away. It's like he's reacting to something I don't know even about. I _really _want to know what it is; I don't want to lose him as a friend. He's important to me." Miley explained in one breath.

* * *

Joe lay sprawled out on his bed, listening to depressed, hopeless romantic songs on his iPod. He let out a heavy sigh and pulled the covers over his head. His eyelids felt heavy and were about to close before Nick pulled the covers towards the end of the bed. "What?" Joe asked grumpily, yanking the ear buds out of his ears. "I'm busy."

"Cut the crap, Joe." Nick said furiously. "What did you say to Miley on Saturday night? Why was she so upset before you left?"

Joe groaned loudly and pulled the covers back over his head. "It's none of your business. Get out."

Nick pulled the covers back off and folded his arms across his chest. "You're right, it isn't my business. But Miley's my friend and you're my brother, so I have a right to know what's going on."

"I just had a little trouble adjusting to the news. No big deal." Joe lied.

Nick scoffed. "So? Kevin and I are having a little trouble adjusting to the news as well. But we're not mad. Shocked, but definitely not mad."

"I wasn't mad," Joe replied, his attitude softening.

"Joe!" Nick snapped.

"Really! I'm not mad. I'm just…disappointed." he informed truthfully, shifting his position on his bed and leaning against the headboard.

Nick bit his lip before continuing on, "Disappointed? Why? Are you disappointed that she kept it a secret? Joe, she had every right to—"

"That's not why I'm disappointed." Joe interrupted. "I'm disappointed that Hannah and Miley are the same person."

"Why on earth you would be disappointed about that?" Nick chortled.

Joe gulped, "Because you were right. I do—did have a serious crush on Hannah. I kept getting hurt because Hannah has a huge crush on you. I secretly met up with her to 'help her' get with you, but I was only doing it to spend time with her. But then I saw _Miley _at Starbucks. For a moment, my world stopped spinning I forgot all about Hannah Montana. I still really liked Hannah, but was slowly losing interest because she kept coming on to you. I knew she would never like me, since she only saw me as her crush's goofy older brother. I was slowly letting Hannah go and moving onto Miley. And when I found out Hannah _was _Miley, I didn't know how to deal with it."

Nick was shocked at his brother's newfound sensitivity. Was this really the same Joe he had grown up with? Usually, when it came to girls who didn't like him, Joe would shake it off and find a new girl to flirt with. If Miley was causing him this much pain, she had to be something special. "Wow," Nick sat down on the bed next to his brother. "No wonder you've been moping around the house for the past few days."

"It doesn't matter anymore." Joe said as he hugged his pillow. "Miley likes you and there's nothing I can do about it."

* * *

Miley closed her geometry textbook and slammed it on her desk. She had finally finished her homework, but she was nowhere near happy. She began doodling in her notebook when her cell phone rang. She dumped the contents of her purse on her bed and grabbed her phone. Her eyes widened when she noticed the caller ID: it was Nick. "Hey Nick," she quietly said into the phone.

"Hey Miley, are you free tonight?" Nick asked on the other line.

"Yeah. Why?" she inquired.

"I was wondering if we could hang out. You know…just you and me. I was hoping we could clear any confusion and set things straight." explained Nick.

Miley's eyebrows furrowed, "Um…okay? I'll meet you at the park in ten minutes."

"Sounds good," Nick agreed. "I'll see you then. Oh! And come as Miley, not Hannah."

Exactly ten minutes later, Miley made it to the park. Her eyes wandered around the area until she spotted Nick sitting on a bench under a large, shady oak tree. "Hey Nick…" she said nervously as she approached him. "What's up?"

Nick looked up at her and smiled faintly, "Hey Miley. We need to talk."

"Okay," Miley responded, taking a seat next to him on the bench. "…About what?"

"Joe told me that you liked me." Nick shared, scratching his temples.

Miley's cheeks turned red, "He did?"

Nick nodded, "Yeah. But not because he was gossiping about you. He was just…venting his feelings." Nick paused. "What I'm trying to say is, I like you. Not in the same sense as you, but as a friend. You've become really important to me over the two weeks we've known each other, and I don't want this to get in the way of our friendship. Do you get what I'm trying to say?"

A weak grin formed on Miley's face. "Don't worry, I totally understand. Don't take this the wrong way, but I think I'm getting over you. The only reason I told you I was Hannah in the first place was to impress you. I thought maybe you'd like Miley better than you liked Hannah." she admitted.

Nick chuckled softly, "Well, I wasn't exactly impressed, in a crush type way. But I can say for sure that I _do _like Miley more than I like Hannah."

Miley laughed, "Really?"

"Absolutely. It's the real you. I'm really glad you told us who you really were. It knocked down so many walls that may have gotten in the way of our friendship." Nick said as he grinned.

Miley's smile slowly faded. "Can you tell me what's up with Joe? Why did he react so strangely? I mean, he had every right to be mad at me, I guess. But…why?"

Nick nervously ran his fingers through his curly hair, "Um, I don't think I should say anything. That's between you and him."

"Nick, please." Miley pleaded. "I tried to talk to him, and I've spent all Sunday afternoon calling him and leaving messages. He won't talk to me. Tell me what's going on."

Nick hesitantly gave in and began to explain. "You see, Joe had the biggest crush on Hannah. Even after he found out you liked me, he still kept crushing on Hannah. Then he saw you at a Starbucks last week, and immediately fell head over heels for you. He still liked Hannah, but started to like you more since Hannah, or you, liked me. But when he found out you were Hannah, I guess he just lost it."

Miley was swept away by the thought of Joe liking her. _Joe? Is he serious? Not that it's a bad thing, but…Joe? He's usually crazy and hyper and goofy…and that's exactly what I look for in a guy_.

"So what you're saying is that the entire time…I was trying to get you to like me. I was getting way ahead of myself by trying to push you into liking me also. I was trying so hard to impress you, when in truth…the only reason I was doing that because I was sick of being single. Ever since my last breakup, things went downhill for me when it came to my social life. I was just so caught up in finding a cute guy that I immediately swooped in and took every chance I got to get you to like me. I was so caught up in my selfishness that I never stopped to realize that the one who really liked me…was standing beside me all along?"

"…If that's how you want to put it." Nick replied.

Miley shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe myself. How could I be so blind? All the signs were there."

"Hey, don't blame yourself." Nick soothed. "Everybody gets a little crazy when it comes to crushes."

"I know, I just feel so bad for hurting him. Day after day he would have to sit there, watching me flirt with you. That's gotta be tough. And yet…he _still _liked me. I'm sorry, Nick. I gotta go talk to Joe." She quickly hugged him goodbye and ran.

Nick watched her run until she was out of his sight. He chuckled, "My work here is done."

* * *

Miley was on her way to the Gray house when she spotted Joe lying on the grass across the street from the other neighborhood park. "Hey there," Miley said as she walked up to him.

Joe looked up at her and regained his composure. "Hey…" he said dully.

"Joe, I think we both know that we need to talk." Miley said seriously as she took a seat next to him on the grass.

Joe sighed, "I know, and I'm sorry. When I found out you were Hannah, I was just shocked. I'm sorry that I yelled, Miley. I wasn't mad, I was only disappointed because…" Joe's voice slowly trailed off and he began to pick at the grass that sprouted near his legs.

"…Because you like me?" Miley finished for him.

Fear and embarrassment struck Joe in the heart as he heard Miley speak those words. _How could she know? Nick told her, didn't he? _"W-where did you get that idea?" Joe asked as casually as possible.

Miley looked down at her palms, "Nick told me. And don't get mad at him, I made him tell me. I have to admit, I was a little blown away when Nick told me the truth."

"…And you want me to get over my feelings because it will never happen. I get it." Joe said, not even bothering to look at her.

Miley sighed, "No. Not at all, Joe. I would never force you to get over your feelings. Because, now that I think about it, I might like you too."

After a moment of awkward silence, Miley decided to take the first step. She breathed in, mentally preparing herself, and then exhaled. She leaned in and trapped Joe's lips in hers, starting to pull away as he wasn't kissing her back. Just as her lips were about to lose contact with his, she felt his hand on the back of her head, gently pulling her back towards him. She daringly kissed him again, feeling a rush of relief run through her when she felt him kissing back.

And so the two sat there, letting their feelings flow out as soft, meaningful kisses. The moonlit sky, sprinkled with stars, shone over them, creating the perfect environment. They slowly broke apart, grinning wildly at each other. Miley wrapped her arms around Joe's waist and leaned into his chest. She looked up at the star-bright sky, knowing her future with Joe would be bright as well.


	6. You and Me Together

Miley's head gently rested on Joe's strong chest, his chest slightly lifting every time he took a breath. Miley buried her face into his shirt and took in his scent. He smelled like sweat, just the way a guy should. "You smell like sweat." she giggled.

Joe looked at her strangely, "Is that a bad thing?"

"No, I love it when guys smell like sweat. It's a sign of masculinity." she informed him. She brushed a loose strand of hair out of his face before leaning into him again. Her breathing slowed to a steady pace and they sat there, watching the stars.

_How did this happen_? Miley thought to herself. _Just yesterday I was head over heels for Nick_. _Today, I'm kissing Joe and stargazing with him_. She looked up at him with her striking blue eyes and their eyes locked. She leaned him to kiss him again when she felt a sudden rush of water spray her.

"What the…?" Joe asked loudly as he stood up. The two of them looked around only to realize that the sprinkles had gone off. Joe helped Miley out and they ran to the nearest sidewalk, getting soaked along the way. As they reached the pavement, they burst out laughing. Miley's forehead rested against Joe's, as her 5'7" frame wasn't much shorter than him. Joe brushed Miley's dripping wet hair out of her face and kissed her passionately. He wrapped his arms around her tiny waist as he felt her arms wrapping around his neck. Their lips melted into each other's, forgetting the world around them until a car horn blared furiously.

"Miley?" Jackson asked, staring at them in disbelief.

"Jackson?" Miley asked, loosening her grip on Joe. Joe awkwardly stepped back as Miley approached her brother. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just on my way back from the movies with Cooper. What are _you _doing here?" he asked curiously.

Miley stuttered, "Um, I'm just hanging out. This is Joe Gray, of the Gray Brothers."

"Joe, huh? It's nice to meet you, man. Miley, I think I should get you home. Dad's probably gonna freak when he finds out you're not home."

"Yeah, you're right." Miley turned to Joe and smiled, "I'll see you around, Joe."

Joe grinned back, "I'll call you later." he said before turning to walk home. Miley hopped into the back seat of Jackson's blue convertible and strapped herself in.

"So, what's up with you and Joe?" Jackson asked as he began to drive.

Miley grinned, "He is _so _amazing. At first I liked Nick the best, but once I _really _got to know Joe, I found out that he's such a sweet guy." she swooned.

Although Jackson didn't show his love for his baby sister too often, he couldn't help but get protective when it came to her and boys. "Are you sure he isn't going to hurt you, Miles? Guys have hurt you so many times before. Remember Jake?"

Miley rolled her eyes, "God, Jackson, you're just like Dad! Yes, I remember Jake. I am tired of everyone comparing every boy I like to Jake Ryan, not _all _boys are like him, you know." Miley explained matter-of-factly.

"I know, Miles. But you're my baby sister, and I don't want to see you get hurt. Hurting you is strictly reserved for me." Jackson said with a laugh.

Miley laughed as well, "Thanks for looking out for me Jacks, but I can take care of myself."

"You sure have proven that," Jackson muttered sarcastically.

"Jackson!" Miley snapped as she slapped him playfully.

Jackson chuckled, "I know you can, Miles. You _are _growing up. I just gotta deal with it, and come to grips that my baby sister isn't gonna be a little girl forever."

"So are you okay with Joe and me?" Miley questioned.

"Let's just say that Joe has always been my favorite Gray Brother." Jackson told her.

Miley smiled from ear to ear, "I love you, Jackson."

* * *

The following Saturday, Miley crept into Joe's room, being careful not to make a sound. She tiptoed quietly towards his bed before shrieking excitedly, "Good morning, Joe!"

"AAH!" Joe cried as he rolled off the bed. He regained his strength and pulled himself back onto the bed. "Miley, what are you doing here?"

"It's Saturday, remember? We're supposed to hang out today." she answered.

Joe glanced at the clock and sighed loudly, "At 6:30 in the morning? I don't think so." He ran his fingers through his hair and plopped back down onto his pillow. "I'm going back to sleep," he said as he yawned and pulled the covers back over his said. He relaxed as he was about to drift into a peaceful sleep. His moment of peace was destroyed when Miley pulled the covers off him.

"I want to go to Starbucks for breakfast," she whined. "It's always fun going there early because no one's there."

Joe glared at her, "Is going to Starbucks at six in the morning a routine of yours? If so, I'm really having second thoughts about dating you." he said groggily as he buried his face into his pillow.

Miley playfully slapped him, "Get up and go get ready. You need to be wide awake if you're going to be drive." she said as she threw a clean shirt his way.

"Why can't you drive?" Joe asked as he slowly got up off his bed.

"Can't drive yet…" she reminded him.

"Oh yeah." Joe muttered. "You're almost sixteen; I should give you driving lessons."

Miley giggled, "Thanks, but I'd like to live to see my sixteenth." She winced at the thought of Joe teaching her how to drive, and shuddered at all the disastrous possibilities.

"Whatever," Joe sighed. "How'd you get in here anyway?" he asked as he picked up the clean shirt Miley had thrown him.

"Kevin gave me a key." Miley replied, holding up the key.

Joe made his way closer to the bathroom before turning around to face her, "I will most definitely have to hurt him for that."

Miley rolled her eyes, "Just get ready."

* * *

"I'll have a skinny vanilla latte with an extra shot of espresso and whipped cream." Miley told the cash register at Starbucks.

"Are you sure I can trust you with all that caffeine?" he asked. "I wouldn't be surprised if you were bouncing off the walls within an hour."

Miley laughed, "Get used to it Joe. It's the price you have to pay for hanging around me."

"I'm sure you'll be a handful," Joe said before ordering a peppermint white chocolate mocha. As soon as they got their drinks and sat at a table, Joe's head rested on the table. He didn't even bother to drink his mocha since he was already half asleep.

"Joe!" Miley scolded, shaking his head. "Wake up!"

"Huh?" Joe asked as his head shot up. He took a look at his surroundings to help him regain his memory. "I'm sorry, Miley. I'm just sleepy. I don't have the energy you have."

Miley coughed, "I beg to differ. I know what you're like on stage, I've been to a few of your concerts."

"Well, sorry that most of my energy doesn't kick it in until ten." Joe yawned loudly before taken a slow sip of his coffee. He laughed as he watched Miley drink the rest of her latte in twenty seconds flat. "With all that caffeine in your stomach, I'm sure I won't be bored today." Joe joked as he rubbed his sleepy eyes.

"You got that right, bub." Miley said as her extra energy began to kick in.

Joe dug his head into his hands, "As if you're not hyper enough already." he told her. "It shouldn't be a problem, though. Because after about 10:00, I'll be bouncing off the walls just as crazily as you are."

Miley laughed sweetly, "That's good to know."

* * *

"Joe, just let me eat it!" Miley shouted as she and Joe were in front of their new favorite spot, Pinkberry.

"You'll have to work for it," Joe teased as he held the spoon away from Miley's face.

Miley gazed longingly at her favorite Pinkberry dish: original topped with fruity pebbles and strawberries. "GIVE ME THE FREAKING YOGURT!" Miley shouted impatiently.

"You'll have to kiss me first." Joe told her as he brought the spoon closer to her face.

Miley sighed, "Fine." She pushed herself on her toes, as high as he sneakers would allow her to, and pressed her face against Joe's. Instead of kissing him, she quickly grabbed the frozen yogurt and made a run for it.

Joe's jaw dropped, "Miley Stewart! You are such a tease." he yelled as he started after her.

"Never said I wasn't one!" she yelled from a distance. After running out of breath, she stopped and stuffed some of the frozen yogurt into her mouth. She looked around to see that Joe was nowhere in sight and sat down on the edge of a nearby fountain. _While he's gone, I might as well make the best of it, _she thought. She greedily scooped up some more yogurt onto her spoon and sucked on it. She repeated this step until the paper cup was empty.

"How was it?" Joe asked as he appeared by her side.

"Sweet nibblets!" Miley shrieked at the top of her lungs. "How long have you been there?"

Joe shrugged, "Not too long. Only since…your first spoonful of _my _frozen yogurt."

Miley looked down at the empty cup. "Oops…you want the cup back?" she asked jokingly.

"No thanks." he said as they stood up and began walking. "You know what? I've been thinking. Since you have an alter ego, Hannah Montana, I think I should come up with a name for myself. Like…Rayne Maine, or Dakota Minnesota, or—"

"Dork York?" Miley finished, stifling a laugh.

Joe glared at her evilly, "That's not funny."

* * *

Later that evening, Miley, as Hannah, quickly rushed backstage for a drink of water. After a quick sip, she made sure her wig was still in place and hurried back onto the stage. "Sorry guys, I just got a little thirsty." she told her screaming fans. "This next one goes out to a special friend of mine, sing along." She grinned wildly at Joe, who was standing in the front row, smiling back at her.

_Looks like we've found ourselves  
__Up against a wall  
__In need of a little help  
__But no one wants to call_

_After all we've been through  
__Do we let our friendship end?  
__You need me and I need you  
__No, we will not break, never break  
__But even if we bend _

_Yeah it's you and me together  
__And I'm always on your side  
__No one, no one, no one can ever change it  
__Come on let `em try  
__Cause it's you and me together now_

_  
__Anyone can have a day  
__When their heart is on their sleeve  
__No one wants to see it our way  
__Can't agree to disagree_

_You'd think it'd be easier  
__But it feels like you just can't win  
__But somehow we'll make it work  
__Cause we deserve it, you know we're worth it  
__You can't give up on friends_

_Cause it's you and me together  
__And I'm always on your side  
__No one, no one, no one can ever change it  
__Come on let `em try  
__Cause it's you and me together now_

_It's you and me together  
__And I'm always on your side  
__No one, no one, no one can ever change it  
__Come on let `em try_

_It's you and me together  
__And I'm always on your side  
__No one, no one, no one can ever change it  
__Come on let `em try  
__Cause it's you and me together now_

As soon as the song finished, Miley desperately attempted to catch her breath. She paused to let the crowd's energy soak in before she yelled, "Thank you guys!" She walked closer to the edge of the stage to wave at her fans, one in particular. She caught Joe's eye and they shared a smile. "Thank you, Joe."


	7. Please Be Mine

Joe scurried down the stairs and into the kitchen, looking around frantically only to find his mother reading a magazine at the dining room table. "Mom, what are you doing?!" he asked harshly as he grabbed the magazine from her hands.

"Excuse me Joseph, mind your manners. Haven't your father and I ever told you not to grab things from other people? My goodness." Denise got up from the chair she was sitting in and gently took the magazine back.

Joe sighed heavily, "Sorry, Mom. I'm just a little freaked out for this dinner with Miley's family. I really want to impress her dad." He pulled out a chair and settled himself in it.

Denise smiled at her son and took a seat next to him. "Don't worry, Joe. I'm sure Miley's just as nervous as you are. Plus, when you've got your mother cooking, nothing can go wrong." She kissed the top of his head and returned to reading her magazine, only to be interrupted by Joe placing his hand, blocking the page from her sight. "What in the world, Joseph?"

"Get cooking, Mom." he ordered with a pleading look.

Denise stared at her son for a few seconds before giving in. "Alright, honey. But what's the rush? It's only 3:30; they won't be here until 6:00. I wasn't planning to start until 4:00."

"A proper family is always early." Joe shrugged. "Please Mom; this dinner has to run perfectly."

"Joseph, calm down. Panicking only makes things worse. Leave all the food preparations to me. The only thing you need to worry about is your manners and what you will be wearing at the dinner table." Denise turned away from her son and towards the kitchen. She opened the cupboards and began placing its contents on the nearby counter.

Joe curiously followed her into the kitchen. "What are you making for dinner anyway, Mom?" He peeked over her shoulder to take a look at the contents on the counter.

"I will be making chicken lasagna and creamed spinach." Denise explained as she ripped open a bag of spinach. She poured the spinach into a bowl and began rinsing the tender green leaves.

"Creamed spinach?!" Joe asked in disgust.

His mother turned and glared at him. "Don't start, young man."

Joe plastered a cheesy smile on his face. "…Yum."

"Go shower so you can be clean for dinner." Denise told her son, who quickly obeyed. She tended to the spinach and chuckled to herself. "You gotta love that boy."

* * *

Frankie was in the middle of playing with his webkinz and hot wheels when Nick came into the room. "What are you doing, little buddy?" Nick asked as he sat Indian-style next to his younger brother.

"Just playing with my toys. The webkinz are attacking New York City and a rescue squad is saving the town while driving really cool cars." Frankie explained before supplying sound effects to the scene, including car engines and screaming people. "Vroom! Aah!"

Nick laughed at him. "Can I play?"

"Sure!" Frankie responded almost instantly. He handed Nick a striking red car and motioned for him to crash it into one of his webkinz, specifically the cheeky monkey. "Why is Joe taking such a long shower? He usually takes really quick ones and Mom gets mad at him because she says he's not clean enough."

"Joe wants to look good for Miley." Nick told Frankie. "Remember the dinner Mom and Dad told us we were having tonight?"

"Yeah," said Frankie.

"Joe and Miley have been dating for about a month, now. They agreed it was time for them to meet each other's families." Nick explained.

Frankie looked quizzically at Nick. "Don't they already know each other?"

Nick nodded, "Yeah, but it's only the occasional 'Hi' and 'I promise I'll have her back by ten Mr. Stewart.' Tonight gives all of us a chance to really get to know each other. Joe wants it to go perfectly because he wants to impress Mr. Stewart."

"Oh." Frankie said before turning to his toys. He'd seen Joe go all mushy on Miley many times before and thought it was gross, although he did want to be a ladies man like his brother. But the boy was seven years old and still had a long way to go before he would look at girls that way. At that particular moment, the only thing that mattered to him was his webkinz wreaking havoc on his miniature rendition of New York City. "Vroom! Aah!"

* * *

Denise placed the cover over the pot of cooking spinach. "Kevin dear, could you please pass me the milk and butter for the spinach?"

Kevin put down the knife he was using to chop the lasagna's tomatoes and headed towards the refrigerator. "Sure, Mom." He pulled out a gallon of milk and measured about one cup with the measuring cup. He screwed the cap back on the milk and placed it back in the refrigerator. He closed the fridge door and gently picked up the stick of butter that was resting on the counter. "Here you go." he said as he delivered the items to his mother.

"Thanks, babe." Denise replied gratefully, treating her oldest son with a peck on the cheek. "You've done more than enough, Kevin. Now please take a shower and get ready."

"Yes, Mom." Kevin turned swiftly on his heels and ran up the stairs.

"Don't forget to wear something nice!" Denise called over her shoulder.

"Yes ma'am!" Kevin hollered from upstairs.

Denise returned to the spinach, taking the cover off the pot. She grasped her wooden spoon and slowly began stirring the spinach while adding in the milk in butter. She jumped slightly when she felt a light tapping on her shoulder. She turned around and smiled, "You look very handsome, Joe."

Joe returned the smile, "Thanks Mom. I was hoping this outfit would be decent enough."

"You look amazing, honey. Now let's fix your hair." Denise licked her hand and ran it through Joe's wild hair.

Joe swatted her hand down, "Give me a break, Mom. Please."

"I'm sorry, honey. It's a habit. I'm sure Miley and her father will be very impressed with your outfit. Could you do me a favor and make sure Nick is done giving Frankie his bath? And it would be wonderful if you could help Frankie get dressed."

"Got it." Joe said as he turned towards the stairs.

"And don't forget to help him with his tie! I don't want him to choke himself." Denise hollered.

Kevin Sr. watched as Joe hurried up the stairs and stepped into the kitchen. "Smells good," he commented.

Denise wiped her forehead and threw her kitchen rag over her shoulder. "Thanks. I haven't cooked this much food since Christmas!"

Kevin Sr. laughed at his hard-working wife. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Actually, yes. Finish topping the lasagna with ricotta cheese and then add another layer of pasta on top. The oven is already preheating, so once you're done, just pop it in there." Denise told her husband.

"Of course, dear." Kevin Sr. replied as he washed his hands. "Are the boys dressed?"

"Kevin is showering and Joe is done, but he's helping Frankie get dressed. Nick just finished giving Frankie his bath, so I assume he just stepped into the shower." Denise explained in one breath.

Kevin Sr. nodded as he finished coating the cold lasagna with ricotta cheese. He quickly but carefully applied one last layer of pasta on top. "All done!" he said proudly as he placed the lasagna in the oven.

"Perfect," said Denise. "The spinach is almost done and the lasagna is now in the oven. Everything seems to be on track!"

The sound of footsteps running down the stairs grew louder as Joe neared the lower level of the house. "Frankie's all dressed." he informed his parents.

"Aw, thank you so much for helping out. Could you please set the table?" Denise asked. Joe nodded and began setting glasses and silverware on the table.

"He seems to be really excited for this dinner," Kevin Sr. whispered to his wife. "I've never seen him so excited."

Denise nodded in agreement. "I'm guessing it's all for Miley. I've never seen him so worked up about a girl before. She really must be something special. I can't wait to get to know her tonight."

"Hopefully there will be plenty of conversation. That shouldn't be a problem, since everybody will be applauding you on the wonderful dinner you cooked." Kevin Sr. said as he kissed his wife's cheek.

She smiled at him, before turning to see that Kevin and Nick had come down the stairs, fully showered and dressed. "Kevin and Nick are ready." she told her husband. "Now it's your turn, big boy." She gave him a quick kiss on the lips before continuing to watch over her spinach.

* * *

With Kevin and Nick's help, Joe finally finished setting the table. "Thanks for your help, guys. This dinner is really important to me."

"No worries, man." Kevin said. "We're your brothers; this is why we're here."

"And don't worry about a thing," Nick advised. "By the looks of it, this dinner is sure to go smoothly. Mom's cooked up some great food."

"You're too sweet, Nicholas." Denise said as she placed the creamed spinach on the dining table. She put her hands on her hips and looked around the room, "Where's Frankie? If that boy got his nice clothes dirty—"

"I'm right here, Mom!" Frankie exclaimed as he came running into the room, his arms full of stuffed animals.

"What are you doing with your webkinz, sweetheart?" Denise asked, bending down to Frankie's level.

"I want to show them to Miley when she comes." he said as he spread his webkinz on the dining table.

"No, no, _not _on the dining table, young man. Take your webkinz back upstairs and put them in your toy basket. You can show them to Miley _after _dinner." she told her son.

Frankie sighed, "Yes Mom." When Frankie was two steps up the stairs, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" Frankie yelled, dropping his webkinz on the stairs. Denise sighed and went to go pick up after him. Frankie ran to the door and yanked it open. "Miley!" he shrieked.

"Frankie!" Miley exclaimed, holding her arms out for a hug. "How are you, little guy?"

Frankie gladly accepted the hug, nearly jumping into Miley's arms. "I'm good!"

After putting all of Frankie's toys away, Denise made her way to the front door. "Hi Miley, it's nice to see you again." she said with a warm smile.

"You too, Mrs. Gray." Miley replied.

Denise turned to Robbie Ray and held her hand out, "Hi, I'm Denise. You must be Robbie Ray; it's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine," Robbie Ray said, smiling just as warmly. He stepped to the side, "This is my son, Jackson."

"Hello Jackson," Denise said as she shook his hand. "My husband should be down in a minute, come on in and make yourselves comfortable." She stepped out of the doorway to allow the Stewarts into the house.

"Hey Miley," Nick said as he walked over to her. They gave each other a warm hug. "It's nice to see you again."

"As with you," Miley grinned. "Did your hair get curlier?"

Nick shrugged, "…I've been told." Kevin walked up to Miley and gave her a hug as well.

"Hey Miley," Joe said. "You look amazing." he said as he kissed her hand.

"So do you," she replied. She pushed herself on her toes and leaned in close to his ear. "You clean up nice." she whispered flirtatiously.

"Alright everyone, dinner is ready." Denise announced from the kitchen. She entered the dining room with the hot lasagna in her hands.

Jackson stood up off the couch and headed towards her. "Let me get that for you, Mrs. Gray." he said as he gently took the hot dish from her hands. He slowly walked over to the table and set it down next to the creamed spinach.

Denise smiled at the kind gesture. "Why thank you, Jackson! How thoughtful of you."

Kevin Sr. cleared his throat before speaking. "If everybody could take their seats, we'd like to say grace." Everybody sat down and joined hands as Kevin Sr. led the prayer. Afterwards, everybody followed with a simultaneous "Amen."

"Feel free to help yourselves," Denise instructed. "And Joe, please make sure you leave enough food for everybody else." The table was sent into a quiet fit of laughter.

"Um, Mom?" Nick asked awkwardly as he poked at his lasagna. "Is the lasagna supposed to be pink?"

"It's chicken lasagna. Therefore it's supposed to be pink." Denise explained.

"Just checking," Nick said as he continued poking at his food.

"Miley and Joe are playing footsie!" Frankie announced to the rest of the table. Miley and Joe quickly pulled their feet back, causing Joe to hit one of the legs of his chair.

"Ow!" he yelped quietly.

Denise shook her head at her youngest son. "Honey, it's not polite to yell at the table. Manners, please." She turned to Miley. "So Miley, do you do well in school?"

"I try to." Miley giggled. "I could do better. I'm usually performing as Hannah when I should be studying." For a while the group made small talk, their conversation ranging from concerts, to hobbies, to each other's homes lives.

In the midst of an awkward silence, Frankie stood up on his seat. "Mommy, can Miley stay to tuck me in tonight?" he asked hopefully.

"If she _wants _to stay and tuck you in, then it's alright with me."

"I'd love to tuck you in, Frankie. What time's your bed time?" questioned Miley.

"8:30, on the dot." he replied. "And I want you to give me a good night kiss, like how Joe kisses you. I want it to be all wet and—"

"FRANKIE!" Joe yelled from his seat, attempting to stop it before it got any further.

"Joseph, please don't raise your voice at the table. Frankie, why are you spying on your brother? You know it's wrong." Kevin Sr. scolded.

Frankie shrugged. "It's hard to _not _spy on them. They make so much noise while kissing it's impossible not to wonder what's going on!" he exclaimed in his defense. Robbie Ray nearly choked on his wine.

"Franklin, that's enough." Denise said sternly.

* * *

"You see that one?" Joe asked as he pointed to a certain star in the sky. The two of them were in the backyard, lying in the same pool chair, gazing up at the night sky. "My dad and I would come out here and stargaze every night. Most of the time, that star would stand out from the others."

"Really?" Miley asked as she snuggled up to Joe.

"Mhm." he replied. "People always ask me how I know if it's the same star. I just do." he explained as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"That's amazing." Miley commented, allowing the night breeze to flow through her curls.

"You see that one over there?" Joe asked, pointed to another star.

"Yeah, why?" Miley asked as she stifled a yawn.

"That star's called Miley."

Miley sat up, "W-what do you mean?"

Joe picked up a certificate from the fold-out table that lay next to the lawn chair. "I named it after you. It's actually called Star #Q33986LK97H4-Miley, but we'll just call it Miley." he chuckled.

"You named a star after me?" she asked excitedly. "That's so sweet!"

"It is…" Joe said in mock arrogance. His tone softened as he became more serious. "Now when I'm in my bed and missing you, I know there's a star named Miley shining down on me."

Miley felt her cheeks flush a deep shade of crimson. She couldn't help but squeal, "Eeedkshdhglk!"

"What?" Joe asked, puzzled.

Miley smiled at him, "I'm just happy. That is so sweet of you, Joe." The two began to lean in, preparing themselves for a passionate kiss.

As if it was timed, Robbie Ray poked his head out of the back door. "Miles, it's time to go home."

Miley sighed loudly, "I'm coming." She picked up her purse and hoisted it over her shoulder before bending down to Joe's level, as he was still lying on the pool chair. "See you soon." she said as she treated him with a quick peck on the cheek.

Robbie Ray couldn't help but smile at the two. Joe made Miley happy, and that was good enough for him.

"Let's go, bud." he said softly, placing an arm around his daughter. "I need to use the bathroom, stay put Miley." Robbie Ray told Miley, who just nodded. She sighed as she looked around the empty living room. She peeked out the back door and found Joe asleep in the pool chair. She chuckled and walked back into the living room. Kevin, Nick, and Frankie were already safe in their beds, and she assumed the same for Mr. and Mrs. Lucas. Miley looked at the TV, which seemed to be entertaining no one. Her ears perked when she heard Joe's name.

"_Look's like Joe Gray of teen phenomenon Gray Brothers has got himself a girlfriend. But who is the mysterious, lucky girl? Sources say she's an everyday teenager from Malibu. Joe looks as happy as can be with his mystery girl, while fans aren't taking it too well. While we were backstage at one of the brothers' concerts, we stopped to talk to a few fans on what they think of Joe's girl." _

A young girl, around the age of thirteen, wearing an 'I LOVE JOE' shirt, had the microphone pointed towards her face. _"I don't really get what Joe sees in her. I never really wanted him to date anyone…because he's my favorite. But if he were, I always thought he would go for somebody important…like a celebrity." _

The young girl's words struck Miley in the heart. Sure, Hannah had her fair share of criticism. Hannah Montana was no stranger to haters with nothing better to do. But Miley, however, was not used to this. Aside from teasing in school, she'd never heard someone talk about her like that. _Somebody important?_ Miley thought to herself.

"…_Not just some girl from Malibu."_ The girl drabbled on. Miley turned the TV off before she could hear anymore of the girl's piercing words. Her breathing fastened as she was using every ounce of her willpower not to cry. She walked over to the front door and leaned her head against it, letting a few tears fall. She heard the faint sound of footsteps, but quickly shook it off. She allowed a number of tears to cascade down from her bloodshot eyes before she swore she could hear someone shuffling through her purse. She rapidly turned around, only to find a figure, similar to Joe's, heading up the stairs. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and grabbed her purse, just as her father exited the bathroom.

"You ready to go, darling?" Robbie Ray asked.

Miley smiled weakly, "Yeah, let's go." She walked out the door and slid into the car, where Jackson was already waiting. Robbie Ray slid into the driver's seat and fired up the engine. Within a matter of seconds, they were on their way home. Miley had the urge to text Lilly and rummaged through her purse, raising her eyebrows when she came across an unfamiliar piece of paper. She unfolded it and held it towards the window, letting the moonlight shine on it so she could read its message. She smiled as she noticed Joe's messy handwriting.

_They come and go  
__But they don't know  
__That you are my beautiful_

_I try to come closer to you  
__But they all say we won't make it through_

_But I'll be there forever  
__You will see that it's better  
__All our hopes and our dreams will come true  
__I will not disappoint you  
__I will be right there for you  
__Till the end, the end of time  
__Please be mine_

_You're more than just a girl from Malibu. _

Miley sighed dreamily and held the piece of paper close to her heart. She stared out the window and observed the soft pitter-patter of the rain. She didn't need the media telling her whether or not she and Joe made a good couple. No one, not even his fans, could tell Joe who was or wasn't right for him. She rested her head on the icy window and sighed. There would be a lot more criticism to come, but she would be fine. Especially with Joe as her knight in shining armor.


	8. Cookies

"I don't know what to get Miley for her birthday!" Joe shouted frantically, running around the living room like a rabid dog.

Nick looked up at his older brother, "Dude, her birthday's in five days. Why didn't you get something earlier? Even Kevin and I bought her something already."

Joe sighed and dropped onto an oversized beanbag chair, "It's her sixteenth birthday, Nick. I can't just settle for a charm bracelet or some fancy designer sweater. I need to get something that will truly knock her socks off, you know?" He stroked his chin, "…something she'll remember forever." Joe squinted his eyes as if he'd never thought that hard before.

Nick laughed, amused at the intensity level of his brother's thinking. "Well, when you think of something let me know." He lifted himself off the couch and headed up the stairs, leaving Joe alone to his thoughts.

_Does Miley like watches? _Joe thought to himself. _Nah. Robbie Ray bought a surprise car for her, even if she doesn't pass her test. Maybe I could get some sheepskin seat covers for her? What the heck? _

_Come on Joe, think. _

* * *

Miley grinned as she scribbled yet another red x over a calendar square. "Only five more days!" she squealed.

Oliver smiled as his friend's enthusiasm. "You're obviously excited."

"Duh!" Miley said. "This could possibly be the most important birthday of my life! Or at least better than last year, when you gave me that mix-n-match socks kit!"

"Hey! How am I supposed to know what girls want?!" Oliver asked to his defense.

Lilly chuckled. "I thought Smokin' Oken was supposed to know everything when it comes to girls."

"Well, I…uh…well you see…" Oliver stuttered.

"Don't hurt yourself." Miley laughed. "My birthday is going to be perfect. I'm gonna wake up, take my driver's test, hopefully pass, take my dad's car out for a victory lap, have an _awesome _party…" Miley's voice trailed off as she squealed with excitement. The ringing of her cell phone broke the brief moment of silence as Miley ran over to her dresser to pick it up. "Hey baby!" she chimed.

Lilly and Oliver grinned at each other as they heard Miley babble on. "Joe." they said simultaneously.

"Yeah, I'll be right over. See you then. Bye." Miley packed her phone in the pocket of her skinny jeans and gathered a few of her things. "I'm sorry guys; I have to go meet Joe. I'll call you tonight…?" Miley offered.

"Nah, it's fine. I'm gonna go meet up with some friends we're gonna grab some grub at Rico's. Have fun with Joe." Oliver said before exiting her room.

Lilly wrapped Miley in a tight hug. "Bye, have fun!" She treated Miley with a smile as she headed for the door. As she was about to exit, she abruptly turned around. "But you still have to call me…"

Miley giggled. "Don't worry, I will. Love ya!" she called out as Lilly disappeared down the stairs. She draped a small messenger bag over her shoulder and made her own way out the door.

* * *

"Hey! Come in," Joe said warmly, stepping out of the way to allow Miley in. "I hear it's someone's birthday in five days…" he said playfully, quickly kissing Miley's cheek.

Miley grinned wildly, "You heard right! Oh my gosh, Joe, you have _no _idea how excited I am!"

Joe chuckled, "Then fill me in on the details."

"Alright," Miley said, jumping on Joe's back as he began his ascent up the stairs. "First of all, I have my driver's test. I'm excited and scared at the same time. But my dad and I have been practicing, and I think I'll be okay…"

Joe laughed softly as Miley continued rambling. _She's so excited she must be dying, _Joe thought. His smile faded. _She also must be dying to know what I got her. This is going to be one of her greatest birthdays ever, I can't let her down. _

"Joe? Joe?" Miley asked as they reached the top of the stairs. "You can put me down now."

Joe blinked. "Oh…yeah." he replied absentmindedly.

"You okay?" Miley asked him as they reached his room. "You seem a little…out of it."

"I just have a lot on my mind, that's all."

"Like what?"

Joe quickly plastered a smile on his face, "Like your birthday!"

"This is going to be the first birthday I get to spend with you and your brothers," Miley explained.

"Yeah," Joe answered. "It's going to be special…I hope." Joe said as he reluctantly let his mind wander back to what he was going to get her.

Miley nodded as she rubbed her palms together. "Yeah. Well, let's get down to business, shall we?" she asked enthusiastically.

"Wait, w-what?" Joe asked, confusion trembling through his voice.

"We were going to bake cookies, remember? For Frankie's friends?" she reminded him.

"Oh yeah. Let's go." Joe answered, immediately dashing down the stairs.

"What has gotten into him?" Miley asked herself as she reached the stairs, taking her time. As soon as she reached the last step, Frankie came bouncing up to her. Miley laughed at the little boy, "Hey, Frank."

"Miley!" Frankie screeched, allowing himself into Miley's arms. "Are you and Joe going to bake the cookies for me and my friends?"

"We sure are," Miley replied.

"Great! With Mom and Dad out of town, there's no one to bake using our mom's famous cookie recipe. But Lilly says you once baked an entire cake from scratch for Oliver's birthday…?" Frankie asked with intense curiosity.

Miley giggled at Frankie's behavior. "I sure did, Frankie. And if I could do that, your mother's cookie recipe should be a cinch. You and your friends will have a plateful of your mom's famous chocolate chip cookies in no time." she assured him. "And don't worry; I'll be sure to make a few extra for you."

"…And Kevin and Nick? They _loooove _Mom's cookies."

Miley bent down to Frankie's level, "I wouldn't dream of forgetting them. Of course."

"Thanks Miley!" Frankie exclaimed as he dashed up the stairs.

"Alright, let's get baking!" Joe said as he finished setting the last ingredient on the counter.

Miley smiled at all the ingredients that were laid out. "Wow. On the rare occasion when my dad bakes cookies, he just pops the pre-made cookie dough into the oven."

Joe laughed. "Well, Mama J doesn't do pre-made. She's all about making things from scratch."

"You're lucky you have a mom with this kind of attitude to cook for you. My mom and I would bake cookies all the time." Miley's smile faded as a single tear rolled down her cheek. She sniffled, "I-I'm sorry." she said as she wiped the tear with her sleeve.

Joe wrapped his arms around her. "Don't be. You're allowed to miss her."

Miley buried her face into Joe's shirt. "Thank you." She sniffled once more and wiped her face free of any remaining tears. "Let's get started, shall we?" she asked as she picked the recipe up off the counter. "Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl." she told Joe.

"Combining…" Joe explained as he stirred the ingredients.

Miley smiled at the sight of him, repeating the phrase she had recently told Frankie. "We're going to have a plateful of your mom's famous chocolate chip cookies in no time."

* * *

Miley and Joe sat on the kitchen floor, flour in their hair, chocolate chips stuck to their clothes, and cookie dough stuck to the countertops, floor, and cabinets. "Where did we go wrong?" Joe asked, picking a glob of sticky cookie dough off of his shirt.

"We followed the recipe," Miley said. "I thought we did everything right. How in Sam heck did the mixture explode? I did not see that coming." Miley rubbed her temples and sighed.

"Frankie's friends will be coming any minute now, and they'll be expecting cookies." Joe said.

"Well, we can still try to continue. We still have some dough left in the mixing bowl. Don't give up just yet," Miley said, grabbing Joe by the hand and pulling him up off the floor.

Joe brushed some of the flour off his pants and returned to the mixing bowl. He scooped up a handful of cookie dough and rolled it into a ball. "Now what?"

Miley sighed. "Place it on the cookie sheet. When you get four rows of three cookies, hand me the tray, and I'll put it in the oven."

"Gotcha," replied Joe, as he continued rounding the cookie dough, placing it on the cookie sheet glob by glob. "Four rows of three cookies," Joe announced proudly. He glanced at the clock, "Frankie's friends are coming in five minutes."

Miley bit her lip, "It takes the cookies ten minutes to bake," she began. "So Frankie's friends will have to wait a little before the cookies are done. We're a little behind schedule, but that's okay." Miley took the tray of cookies from Joe's grasp and was about to place the cookies in the oven when she sighed heavily. "Great." she huffed. "We forget to preheat the oven. So that will take _another _ten minutes."

Joe held his hands up in defeat, "I give up. Frankie and his friends will just have to settle for cookie dough. We can't waste our time trying to get the cookies right, we have to clean up this mess."

"You're right," Miley quietly agreed. As Joe started to wipe off the counters, Miley was sent into a fit of giggles.

Joe raised an eyebrow, "You okay Miles?"

"I'm fine." Miley told him, in between giggles. "It's just—this reminds me of the time when I tried to bake cookies with my Mamaw back in Tennessee. The kitchen was a mess and we were covered in flour, just like now. I started crying because the cookies were supposed to be for my daddy's birthday party, but Mamaw held me and told me everything would be okay, and we could serve cookie dough. Before we knew it, we turned around to see Uncle Earl eating the last drop of cookie dough from the mixing bowl." Miley laughed. "Man, I miss my family back home in Tennessee. They aren't perfect, but, I love them. And I'd do anything to have them here with me to celebrate my birthday."

Joe's lips curled into a devilish smile as he heard Miley ramble on and on about her family. _I know what to get Miley for her birthday._

"Earth to Joe?" Miley asked, waving a flour covered hand in front of his face. "You're zoning out again." she warned him.

He smiled. "I was just thinking about your birthday present."

"Really?!" Miley asked excitedly. "What'd you get me?" she asked, moving closer to him.

Joe chuckled as he brushed a loose strand of hair out of Miley's face. "Come on, you know I can't tell you that. It would ruin the surprise. But trust me; it's going to be something you'll _never _forget."

"I can't wait." Miley smiled as she gazed into his chocolate brown eyes, wiping a few splotches of flour off his cheek. She kissed him lightly and laughed softly.

"What?" Joe asked.

"You taste like cookies." Miley said as she kissed him again. "Only sweeter."

* * *


	9. Sweet Sixteen

At exactly 4:57 am, Miley's striking blue eyes shot open, and her lips curled into a smile. She threw the covers off of her body and started dancing around her room. "It's today! It's today! It's today!" She pulled her hair out of its messy ponytail and began jumping on her queen-sized bed.

An upset Jackson groggily dragged himself to the doorway of Miley's room. "Some people are trying to sleep, Miles."

Miley stopped jumping and folded her arms, "Well, _someone _is trying to celebrate her sixteenth birthday." Jackson rolled his eyes and retreated back to his own room. As soon as he left, Miley plopped onto her bed and rested her head on her abnormally fluffy pillow. _I can't believe I'm sixteen_, Miley thought to herself. _I wonder what Daddy got me_. _Ooh! I wonder what Joe got me_. _I can't wait to see what my party is like_. It was true; Miley had no clue what her party was going to be like. Her dress, the cake, and even where it was going to be held was under wraps and kept secret from Miley. Miley was trapped in her own thoughts until she heard the vibration of her cell phone on her night stand. She unlocked her iPhone and grinned when she noticed who it was from.

_Whoa, exactly 16 years ago today u were born. _

_Happy Birthday Miles._

_Joe. _

Miley chuckled to herself and quickly typed up a reply:

_Ur a minute late, Joe. I was born at 4:57. It's 4:58. _

_U better make it up to me today with an awesome present. _

_Mi._

Miley put her phone down on her night stand and let her heavy eyelids close. She pulled the covers back over her shivering body and was slowly drifting off until her phone vibrated once more. She grabbed her phone and opened the message. She could feel her heart flutter and her cheeks flush as she read his words.

_Oh don't worry, I will. _

* * *

"I can't believe your dad just sent you off to the mall with his credit card." Lilly said, stifling a yawn. "Especially at 7:30 in the morning. I didn't even know the mall was open this early."

"Well, he wants to keep me occupied while the party details are finalized." Miley replied, motioning for Lilly to follow her into an overpriced boutique.

"If you don't know anything about the party, why couldn't your dad just make it a surprise?" Lilly pondered aloud.

Miley turned to face her, "Remember what happened the last time my dad tried to throw a surprise party for me? I knew about it a week before, because _someone _was a little excited."

Lilly's cheeks turned red as she remembered what happened. "Oh."

"I wonder what Joe's going to get me. He sent me a text this morning saying he got me something awesome." Miley explained as she examined a pair of skinny jeans.

Lilly giggled, "Whatever it is, it's going to be better than that mix 'n match socks kit that Oliver got you last year."

"Let's hope so," Miley chuckled. "But seriously, this is my first birthday that I'm going to spending with him…_and _it's my sweet sixteen. I really want it to be something special."

"Don't worry, Miley. Joe knows you better than anybody else…besides me. I bet he's looking at your present right now, feeling proud that he picked it out."

* * *

"Why isn't her present here yet?!" Joe asked spastically. Before his outburst, he had been tapping his foot impatiently. Many minutes had flown by and his tapping had evolved into stomping, which had evolved into running around crazily.

Kevin put down his magazine and laughed, yawning before speaking, "Cool it, Joe. I'm sure their plane will land any minute. It's very common for flights to be delayed. _Relax._"

"Delayed?" Joe asked, as if the word was foreign to him.

"Uh, yeah…?"

"Oh, no. The plane _can't _be delayed. It just can't. This is Miley's birthday present. It _has _to be perfect." Joe replied, running his fingers though his messy, early morning hair. After hearing Miley babble on and on about her family back in Tennessee five days earlier, Joe decided that his only way to make Miley's birthday perfect was to invite a pack of her family members, including Aunt Dolly, Mamaw, and the one and only Uncle Earl. After receiving their phone numbers from Robbie, Joe had called them all individually, and had personally invited them to fly over. The three brothers were now anxiously awaiting their arrival at Los Angeles International Airport.

"Flight 89 _has _been delayed." Nick informed his brothers, walking over to the sitting area where the boys were located. "I just checked."

Joe winced. "It has?! How long?" he asked anxiously.

Nick shrugged. "I don't know. But panicking will only make it worse, okay? Calm down."

_Calm down._

Joe had heard those words many times that morning, and it was getting on his last nerve. "I will not calm down until I know why the plane hasn't landed yet?!" he yelled, receiving blank stares from exhausted travelers who happened to be passing by.

Nick blinked.

Kevin just stared.

"Young man, could you please calm—" began a young woman behind the service counter, before Kevin and Nick jumped to her rescue.

"DON'T SAY IT!" Kevin and Nick exclaimed.

Nick cleared his throat before continuing, "What we meant to say is…we'll take care of it."

Joe stood there, steaming in anger before his cell phone rang. "Hello?!" he nearly yelled into the phone.

"Joseph? Is that you?" Uncle Earl asked, before carrying on without waiting for an answer. "Unfortunately, our layover in Phoenix was longer than expected."

"How long?" Joe asked nervously.

Uncle Earl hesitated before continuing, "Our flight to LA has been cancelled." he informed sadly.

"What?! Will you still be able to make it over? I _really _don't want to let Miley down." Joe told Uncle Earl sincerely.

Uncle Earl scoffed. "Joseph, in no way am I going to let my darling niece down on her sixteenth birthday. We'll be there faster than a gravy-covered cat can run in a barn full of bloodhounds."

Joe blinked. "I'm guessing that's pretty fast." He sighed. "Well, if you can't make it over, I understand." He huffed dramatically before hanging up. "Great."

"What did he say?" Kevin asked.

"Their flight to LA has just been cancelled. Chances of them making it over are slim, but they're still trying. What am I going to do?" Joe asked desperately.

Nick sighed sadly. He knew how much Joe wanted to make this birthday special for Miley. "I'm sure we can trust Miley's family in making it over here in time. They know how much this birthday means to her and they'll do whatever it takes to be here for her. But just in case they don't show up, we could try shopping for a back-up gift?" he suggested.

"Yeah, good idea." Joe said. "There's a gift shop at the other side of this terminal, I'll go check it out." He pulled his phone out of his pocket and handed it to Kevin. "Keep it, just in case one of them calls with any updates. I shouldn't be too long." he said before disappearing down the long, stretchy halls of the airport.

* * *

"Daddy?" Miley called, her head peeking in from the front door of her house. "Is it safe for me to come in?"

"Yeah bud, come on in!" Robbie answered from the kitchen. He looked at his watch, "It's 3:30 already? Eight hours at the mall…? Wow."

Miley laughed. "Eight hours of shopping is _nothing_, daddy. But remember, I also stopped to take my driver's test. Which I passed!"

"Congratulations, bud! I am so incredibly proud of you!" Robbie smiled, "Why don't you go take a shower and get ready for your party? Your dress is laid out on your bed. And when you're down, Lilly can help you with your makeup."

"Eep!" Lilly squealed. "Let's go, Miley!" she said excitedly, grabbing Miley by the hand and leading her up the stairs. Lilly stopped dead in her tracks as she notice the dress laid out on Miley's bed, letting out another resounding, "EEEEP!" She pushed Miley to the foot of her bed, "The dress…gorgeous!" Lilly shrieked, unable to put her words into a sentence.

"Oh my gosh," Miley said, feeling a tear making it's way to the surface of her eyelids. "This is the dress my mom wore for her sweet sixteen! I've seen it in pictures."

"Wow," Lilly drawled, gently running two fingers across the surface of the cream-colored, knee-length dress, adorned with rows of silver sequins. She chuckled, "It's hard to believe something from back then could look so cute today."

Miley laughed, "My mom always knew what to wear."

* * *

"You're sweet sixteen is finally here." Lilly choked out, a tear rolling down her cheek as she curled the last strand of Miley's hair.

"Aw, Lilly…you're crying?" Miley asked, turning to face her best friend.

"Oh, no. I burnt myself with the curling iron." she confessed. "But I'm happy about your birthday too. You're the last one of us to turn sixteen." she said, laughing a bit.

Miley nodded and smiled, "Yeah. But like you said, it's finally here."

"Time flies," Lilly said, applying mascara to Miley's lashes. She placed a dab of powder on each of Miley's cheeks and carefully wiped off any excess. "Time for the finishing touches," Lilly explained, applying a layer of clear lip gloss on Miley's lip. She stepped back and smiled at her work. "You're irresistible."

Miley turned her swivel chair around so she faced the mirror. "Wow, Lilly. You're like my own personal beauty salon."

"Yeah, well, I take pride in my work." Lilly said in mock arrogance.

Miley giggled and opened the double doors to Hannah's shoe closet, smiling as she walked in, with Lilly close behind. "What shoes should I wear, Lilly?"

Lilly stroked her chin as her eyes circled the room. "How about those?" she asked, pointing a closed shoe box with a red ribbon placed on the top.

"Aw…an early birthday present?" Miley asked, making her way over to the box. She grabbed the card and grinned as she read it aloud: "Happy birthday Miles, from…Jackson?" Miley's eyes widened in confusion as she set the card down beside her. "Jackson got me a pair of shoes?"

"That doesn't seem like him." Lilly agreed.

Miley scoffed, "Pfft. It's probably a rubber snake in a shoe box." She gasped as she opened the box, knowing she'd have to eat her words. "Oh, lordie. Lilly, look…" she said, taking out a pair of silver strappy heels by Jonathan Kayne Maui. "This has got to be the sweetest thing Jackson has ever done for me," Miley said, slipping her feet into her new pair of heels.

Lilly grinned, "You know you're brother loves you. I guess he rarely shows it. And when he does…he _really _does." she giggled.

"Yeah…" Miley replied, admiring her shoes. She looked at the clock and squealed. "It's 5:30, which means it's time for my party!" she shrieked excitedly. She and Lilly linked arms and giddily made their way down the stairs.

* * *

"Alright bud, here we are…" Robbie said as he led Miley into a building unknown to her. He slowly untied her blindfold and smiled as a gasp escaped her mouth. "Happy birthday, Miley." he said warmly, wrapping her in a hug.

"Daddy…" Miley gasped, taking in her surroundings. There was a buffet, a DJ, and a dance floor lit by ultraviolet lights. "You did all this for me?"

Robbie placed an arm around his daughter, "This is my friend's old warehouse, and he let me turn it into the perfect party location with the help of a few friends."

Miley squealed and nearly squeezed her father to death, "Thank you, Daddy! This is amazing. I couldn't ask for a better birthday party."

"Whoa, the party hasn't even started yet, bud! Now go, have a good time with your friends." Robbie smiled as he watched his little girl disappear into the endless sea of party guests.

On the other side of the building, Joe slowly trailed in behind his brothers and parents. He looked down at his hand, sighing at the wrapped present he was holding. Miley's relatives _still _hadn't shown up, and he was starting to lose hope. He put his despair to the side when he spotted Miley on the dance floor with Lilly and Oliver. "Whoa," he mumbled, taking in her features.

He gazed at her long copper-colored hair and was breath taken at how it freely trailed down her back. He watched as her eyes sparkled under the spinning disco ball, and how her smile lit up the room. She was always beautiful, but the way she looked tonight completely redefined the meaning of beautiful. Joe slowly made his way over, setting his present down at an empty table. He smiled as he approached Miley and her friends. "May I?" he asked.

"She's all yours," Oliver said as he and Lilly stepped away.

"You made it," Miley said as she smiled, almost sounding as if she were surprised.

Joe planted a soft kiss on her lips. "You didn't actually think I would miss your birthday, did you?" he asked as they swayed to the slow song that was playing.

Miley chuckled. "Aside from your texts this morning I haven't heard anything from you. Is everything okay?"

Joe felt his stomach turn. "Y-yeah, everything's f-fine." he lied. _Come on Earl, you promised you wouldn't let her down. If you let her down, I let her down. _

"Are you sure?" Miley asked, raising an eyebrow.

Joe nodded his head, "Yeah. Don't worry about me. This is your party." He sighed as Miley placed her head on his shoulder. He sneakily pulled out his phone to see if there were any messages from her relatives. Nothing. Joe cursed inwardly at himself before escaping to his own thoughts. _Come on, Earl, Dolly, Mamaw. Don't let me down._

_Don't let her down._

* * *

After blowing out the candles on her vanilla cream layer cake, Miley had opened all of her presents, except one. Joe's. She received a nine carat white gold pendant from her dad (and of course, the car he had bought her a while before), a breathtaking pair of diamond studs from Lilly and her mom (to which Lilly says, "We bought on sale!"), and a Dolce & Gabbana sweater from Oliver (which miraculously, he bought in the right size). After thanking everyone for their 'sincere kindness,' she jumped into Joe's arms. "Some night, huh?" she asked.

"Yeah, I g-got you something…" Joe said nervously, handing her the sloppily-wrapped present. His heart sunk when he saw the excitement in her eyes when she started to unwrap it, knowing she would only be let down.

Miley's smile slowly faded, but quickly reappeared when she realized that Joe was still watching her. "A mix-n-match socks kit. This will go great with the one I got last year! Thanks Joe, I love it." she exclaimed as happily as she could, although there still was a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

"I'm sorry, Miley. I had something _amazing _planned for you. But everything backfired and nothing happened the way I wanted it too." Joe said earnestly. "And I know I still should've gotten something better than a mix-n-match socks kit, but it was all they had at the airport gift shop."

Miley grinned and placed her arms around Joe's neck. "Joe, that's awfully sweet of you to plan something for me. It's the thought that counts. And don't worry, this mix-n-match socks kit means the world to me, because it's from _you_." she said honestly, poking him in the side. "Wait a second, why were you at the airport?"

Joe bit his lip, he might as well tell her what he had in store for her. "Well, I—"

"Surprise, surprise!" a loud voice shouted from the doorway as a large, shadowy figure entered the building. Soon enough, the shadowy figure was revealed to be the one and only…Uncle Earl. "Happy birthday, Miley!" he exclaimed, running over to her.

Miley's eyes lit up in surprise. "Uncle Earl? You're here?" she asked as he embraced her in a hug.

"Oh sweetie, it's not just me." Uncle Earl told his niece. "Take a look for yourself."

Miley squinted her eyes as she searched the room. She could feel her breath stop short when she noticed two of the most important in her life. "Aunt Dolly! Mamaw!" she shrieked as she ran over to them. "I can't believe you're here…and not fighting!"

"Miley, you know we couldn't break a promise to you. As you know, we've put our differences aside a _long _time ago." Aunt Dolly explained, following with a nod from Mamaw.

"What are you all doing here?" Miley asked.

"Your hunk of a boyfriend told us to come." Mamaw piped up, causing Joe to blush.

Miley turned to Joe, her long-lasting smile widening, "Joe, you did this?"

Joe shrugged, a smile creeping onto his face. "Guilty as charged."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. "Thank you, Joe. This is the most amazing thing anyone's ever done for me. I love it. Now everyone's here." she said, before her smile faded and her gazed concentrated on her feet. "Well, not…_everyone_."

Joe sighed and pulled her closer. He knew _exactly _who she was talking about. "You know she's smiling down at you this very moment."

Miley cried softly into his chest, before lifting her head up for a breath of air. "I'm wearing her dress. My dad saved it all this years because my mom told him that she wanted to see me wear it one day." She leaned into his chest again, and let out a muffled cry. "And she never got to."

Joe rubbed her back. "She's watching you wear her dress from a better place. She wouldn't want you to spend the night of your sweet sixteen crying, would she?"

Miley shook her head.

"Exactly." said Joe. "She'd want to see you having fun, right?"

"I guess so."

Joe smiled at her. "Come on."

* * *

Later that night, Miley and Joe lay in the grass in Miley's backyard. It was silent, except for Miley's constant giggles and an occasional laugh from Joe. Miley relaxed into Joe's embrace and breathed in her favorite scent: Joe's sweat. Her eyes slowly closed as she listened to his heartbeat. Joe smiled down at her. "You hear that?" he asked.

Miley nodded.

"It only beats for you."

Miley looked up at him and smiled. "You're too sweet." she said, tapping his nose.

Joe chuckled, before a more serious expression washed over his face. "Miley…?" he began nervously.

"Yeah?"

"Um, I have something for you." he said, fiddling with something in his pocket. "I wasn't sure if I should've given it to you at your party, or anytime near today. But…"

Miley chuckled at his shyness, "What is it Joe?" She rolled and shifted so that she was lying next to him. A small smile was plastered on her face as the night breeze blew through her hair and the freshly cut grass tickled her bare toes.

Joe breathed deeply before pulling out a gold rope chain necklace with a heart-shaped charm at the end. He mentally prepared himself for the worst as he handed it to Miley with a shaking hand. "F-For you." he stuttered.

Miley smirked at him and let the chain fall through her grip, quickly catching it with the other. "It's pretty. Thank you." she told him sincerely. She ran her fingers across the texture of the necklace, stopping when she noticed an engraving on the back of the heart. She allowed her fingers to run across its cold, shiny surface before flipping it over. She gasped as she read its message, then shifted her gaze to Joe, waiting for him to confirm the engraving.

_I Love You. _


	10. Say What?

**Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait, but I really had no ideas left for this story. But when I woke up this morning, I had a strong urge to continue! I have TONS of ideas for this story now, so hold tight. I have to warn you, things kinda go downhill for Miley and Joe starting from here. But don't worry, there WILL be a happy ending. But what's a good story without any drama?**

**Disclaimer: NO. I DON'T OWN ANYTHING! Happy Disney?**

* * *

"_Miley…?" Joe began nervously._

"_Yeah?"_

"_Um, I have something for you." he said, fiddling with something in his pocket. "I wasn't sure if I should've given it to you at your party, or anytime near today. But…"_

_Miley chuckled at his shyness, "What is it Joe?" She rolled and shifted so that she was lying next to him. A small smile was plastered on her face as the night breeze blew through her hair and the freshly cut grass tickled her bare toes. _

_Joe breathed deeply before pulling out a gold rope chain necklace with a heart-shaped charm at the end. He mentally prepared himself for the worst as he handed it to Miley with a shaking hand. "F-For you." he stuttered._

_Miley smirked at him and let the chain fall through her grip, quickly catching it with the other. "It's pretty. Thank you." she told him sincerely. She ran her fingers across the texture of the necklace, stopping when she noticed an engraving on the back of the heart. She allowed her fingers to run across its cold, shiny surface before flipping it over. She gasped as she read its message, then shifted her gaze to Joe, waiting for him to confirm the engraving._

_I Love You. _

* * *

Miley's eyes darted back and forth from the necklace to Joe's worried eyes. "Joe, I—"

"I knew it," Joe sighed. "This was a mistake. I'm sorry, Miley. This is exactly what I was afraid of. It's my fault, I'm rushing it. I completely understand if you don't want to—"

"Joe!" Miley laughed.

"What?" he asked her with sad eyes.

She chuckled, "Let me finish? Please?"

Joe nodded.

"This night, was already the greatest night of my life." Miley glanced at the gold chain still in her grasp. "And unbelievably, you just made it better. I love you too."

"I understand. I guess I'll just get going—you do?" he asked in surprised.

Miley raised her eyebrows and nodded, chuckling.

Joe wrapped his strong arms around her and smiled into her hair, "You just made me the happiest guy alive…if it's possible for me to be even happier than I already am."

The two lovers gently let their backs fall down onto the grass, looking up at the star-filled sky.

* * *

"School's out! Finally!" Oliver chimed, sliding down the rails of the school's front steps.

Miley laughed, "It's about time. I thought my brain was about to explode with all those finals. Now I can just sit back, relax, and—"

"MILEYYYYY!" Lilly's voice echoed throughout the whole school, causing Miley to shudder and rub her ears.

"What Lilly?" Miley asked as Lilly ran up to her.

Lilly gasped as she attempted to catch her breath. "You'll never believe this. J-Jake…R-R-R-Ryan, c-coming b-back…"

"Just spit it out already!" Oliver steamed impatiently.

Lilly shot Oliver a death glare before continuing. "There are rumors floating around the school that Jake Ryan is coming back to Seaview in September."

Miley gulped, "Should I be worried about this? I shouldn't right? I mean, the last time I checked, he was _way _over me."

"I'm sure there's nothing to stress about. I think I read an article somewhere that he was dating Mikayla." Oliver said.

"Well, I hope he's happy with that two-faced, backstabbing, robotic singing hamster, because I'm happy with Joe." Miley explained. "Doesn't he have better things to do than attend a Malibu public school?"

Lilly shrugged. "That's what I was thinking. There's got to be a good reason why Jake would be coming back after all this time."

* * *

"Cheetah!"

"Tiger!"

"Cheetah!"

"Tiger!"

"Kevin, _please_ tell Nick that cheetahs are _way _better than tigers." Joe pleaded.

"I'm not getting into another one of your childish arguments." Kevin said, raising the magazine he was reading so that it covered his face.

Nick cleared his throat, "Face it, Joe. A tiger could wipe out a cheetah in a second."

"So? I don't see any movies centered around tigers!"

"Um, how about _Two Brothers_? That was about _two _tigers."

"Psh, so what?" Joe scoffed. "Simba is way better."

Nick raised an eyebrow, "Simba's a lion. That's why he was in _The Lion King_."

"Whatever. I can name a movie about cheetahs any time I want." Joe informed his little brother.

"Like what?"

"The Cheetah Girls…1, 2, _and _3!"

Nick and Joe continued their quarrel, not caring to notice that the doorbell had sounded nearly a minute ago.

"Alright, don't rush to get the door. I'll do it," Kevin said sarcastically, heading towards the front door. "Hey Miley, hey Lilly!"

"Hey Kevin," Miley said with a smile, which quickly faded when she noticed Nick and Joe battling it out on the floor. "What's up with those two?"

Kevin sighed, shaking his head at his childish brothers. "If I knew I would tell you."

Lilly giggled, "I wonder what crazy thoughts go on inside those heads."

"I think we all do." Kevin said as he sat himself on the couch. "We really, really, do."

* * *

"Hey Bud, how were things over at the Grays'?" Robbie asked as he prepared dinner in the kitchen.

Miley smiled and set her bag down on one of the armchairs. "Hectic, as usual. Lilly and I got to witness of Nick and Joe's famous arguments."

Robbie chuckled. "You mean like the time when they argued over why there was a candy bar named Butterfinger?"

"Yeah," Miley laughed. As she bent over the coffee table to reach for the TV remote, Miley felt something sharp hit her neck. "Ow, what the heck was that?" she exclaimed as she turn around. She gagged as she noticed Jackson trimming his toenails. "Ew, Jackson?! That's disgusting!"

"Hey, I warned you." Jackson said as he continued clipping his nails. "I even put a sign up on the door."

Miley turned towards the front door and squinted as she read Jackson's messy writing: ENTER AT OWN RISK. GOGGLES RECOMMENDED.

"Ugh, I hate you." Miley spat out before turning on the TV.

"Good evening, Malibu!" The annoying reporter's voice chimed through the speakers. "I'm Samantha Hilton, and you're watching the _Malibu Now_. Last night, thousands of Malibu girls had the time of their lives, watching teen pop sensation, Hannah Montana, perform live at the Malibu Megadome. The young sensation performed twenty live numbers from two of her successful pop albums, treating her fans with two full hours of singing, dancing, and full-out fun."

Robbie smiled as he continued chopping tomatoes. "I am so proud of you Miley. Keep it up."

"Thanks dad." Miley smiled, before a certain name caught her attention.

"Looks like teen hottie Jake Ryan is back in town after spending eight months in Antarctica, filming with his _intergalactic alien babe_, Mikayla!" Samantha announced, as pictures of Jake leaving a Malibu coffee shop flashed across the screen.

Jackson smirked at his younger sister as Samantha kept rambling on and on about Jake. "Well, well, Miley. Look who's in a pickle now!"

"Shut up, Jackson." Miley said. "Why would this be a problem? We're way over, remember? And I would really appreciate it if you didn't mention anything about Jake or my relationship with him in front of Joe, okay?"

"You know I'm kidding, Miles." Jackson told her as he finished clipping his toenails. "You seem a little stressed out about this. Are you okay?" he asked, switching to concerned older brother mode.

Miley sat down next to Jackson and started playing with the hem of her shirt. "I don't know. This is just a little overwhelming for me. It was easier for me to be over Jake when he was thousands of miles away. But now that he's here, I just don't know what to think."

Jackson looked at his little sister with deep concern. "Do you think there's a chance that you might…_not_ be over him?"

"I'm extremely happy about where I am with Joe, Jackson. There's not a doubt in my mind about where I want to be!" Miley said angrily. When she noticed Jackson's soft expression, she calmed herself before speaking again. "I'm sorry, Jackson. I didn't mean to yell. I'm going to be completely honest with you here…"

"I'm listening," Jackson said as he placed a soothing hand on his sister's shoulder.

Miley closed her eyes and let her head fall back onto the cushion. "I don't know if I'm over Jake, or if I'm convincing myself I'm over him."

* * *

Miley sighed as the gold chain Joe had given her hung from her neck. She couldn't help but feel guilty for having these thoughts about Jake while she was with Joe. Joe had been nothing but loyal to her, and here she was, straying off to another boy, in her mind at least.

"Miles? You okay?" Joe asked, gently rubbing Miley's back.

Miley blinked rapidly as she was brought back to reality. "Oh yeah! I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind, that's all."

Miley and Joe were walking down the Malibu docks, just in time to witness the sunset. Jake had been on Miley's mind the entire time, except for a few mere minutes, when Joe had won Miley a stuffed animal after playing a game on the boardwalk. Miley had hoped that an affectionate night out with Joe would help calm her nerves about Jake, but so far, nothing had helped. She twitched slightly as Joe reached for her hand, lacing his fingers with hers.

"Something's wrong, Miley. I can feel it." Joe said.

"W-what?" Miley asked, having been broken out of her thoughts for the second time.

Joe deeply looked into Miley's eyes. "Did I do something wrong, Miley? If I did, I'm really sorry."

Miley couldn't help but feel her heart break. Joe had sensed her incomfort, and had blamed himself. She knew damn straight that this boy hadn't done anything wrong. "No, it's not you."

"Then what is it?" Joe asked, running a hand through her hair.

Miley closed her eyes as Joe's hand reached her cheek. She shook her head and smiled weakly, "I love you, Joe."

And that was all she could tell him at the moment.

* * *

"Miley, are you serious?! You can't be!" Lilly shrieked.

Miley sat at the edge of her bed, curled up in a ball. "I already feel terrible, Lilly."

Lilly's softened her facial expression and walked over to her best friend. "I'm sorry, Miley. But Joe's a great guy! How could you dump him for Jake?"

"I haven't done anything, Lilly. I haven't even told him that Jake's back in town."

"Are you going to?"

"Can everyone just lay off with the questions?! I don't know!" Miley half-yelled, before weakly crying into her pillow.

Lilly wrapped her arms around Miley and felt Miley's tears soaking her shirt. "Shhh, it's okay. Don't cry over this, Miley. You'll figure it out."

"Being a teenager is already confusing enough. I don't need boy drama to add to that." Miley choked out.

Lilly stroked Miley's hair and shushed her, "Boys aren't worth your tears, Miles."

Miley sniffled and looked across the room at a picture of Joe on her nightstand, "This one is."

* * *

Miley began her descent down the stairs, with Beary tightly clutched to her side. She smiled faintly to the smell of pancakes drowned in syrup, and followed the scent until she reached the bottom of the stairs. She was glad to see Lilly, who had spent the night, scarfing down pancakes at the counter.

"Hey Miles!" she greeted, her mouth full of pancakes.

Miley chuckled and took a seat next to Lilly. "Hi," she said quietly.

"Are you feeling any better?" Lilly asked sincerely.

Miley took a bite of her pancakes and turned to Lilly. "A little better, I suppose. As I was lying in my bed last night, I was thinking. I _know_ Joe loves me. Jake, on the other hand, is probably over me and making out with some blonde chick at the moment. Why should I waste my time dreading over a guy who doesn't take me to see the sunset every night, or plays boardwalk games twenty-three times in a row to win me a stuffed monkey, or tells me he loves me, when I _do _have one who does?"

"That was smart thinking, Miley. And you're right. Why waste time with Jake when he doesn't like you back, let alone when he's not even here."

Miley laughed as the doorbell rang. "I'll get it," she said. She set her fork down on her plate and turned around to get the door, her fuzzy slippers dragging across the floor. She unlocked the door and twisted the knob, revealing a very worn looking blond boy on the other side. "J-Jake?"

Jake gave Miley a flashy grin, "Hey Miley. You've probably heard that I'm back in town." he said, his cocky arrogance becoming obvious.

"Yeah," Miley mumbled. "How was filming? With…M-Mi-k-k-ayla?" she asked, nearly choking on her rival's name.

"Oh you know, so-so. We're not dating, just to clear things up." Jake said, running his hand through his hair and sighing exasperatedly.

"So…" Miley began. "Not to sound rude, or anything, but w-why are you h-here?" she stuttered.

Jake laughed awkwardly and shrugged. "This may sound a little weird; especially after all we've been through, but…"

"But what?" Miley asked impatiently, and somewhat…excitedly.

"What would you think if…you and I got back together?" Jake asked hopefully, pulling out a bouquet a flowers from behind his back.

Miley's jaw dropped. "Big blonde sack of drama, say what?"

* * *

**A/N: So yeah, I know it's REALLY unoriginal to bring Jake Ryan into the story, since many other stories do, but trust me, I know where I'm going with this. Please review, no flames. **

**peacee xo**

**kayslee (:**


	11. Out of the Fire

"I said, what would you think if we got back together?" Jake asked, handing Miley the bouquet of flowers.

White roses, her favorite.

Miley smiled as she accepted the bouquet. "White roses? You remembered!" she squeaked excitedly, as she hugged him tightly.

Lilly set her plate of pancakes near the sink and headed towards the door to check on Miley. She nearly choked on her saliva when she caught a glimpse of Miley and Jake. "What is she thinking?" Lilly muttered to herself. She marched her way over to them and tapped Miley on the shoulder. "Miley, could I see you for a second?" she asked sweetly.

"Um, sure. Come in and make yourself comfortable, Jake. This shouldn't take too long." Miley turned around and followed Lilly into the kitchen. "Lilly, what's this about?"

Lilly shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that you were hugging Jake Ryan has to do with this?!"

"I don't see anything wrong with a hug." Miley said innocently.

"Miley, that was not just any old friendly hug. I could tell it was something more." Lilly sighed. "And he gave you flowers?! What does he want?"

"He wants to get back together," Miley replied, blushing. Suddenly, her eyes widened, realizing the mess she was in. "Uh oh."

Lilly rolled her eyes. "Exactly. So what are you going to do?"

Miley dropped the bouquet of flowers onto the counter and ran upstairs, without a word.

* * *

"Jake Ryan's new movie is coming out in a few weeks. Do you guys wanna see it?" Kevin asked as he read one of his father's newspapers.

"What's it about?" Joe asked from his spot on the couch.

Kevin shrugged, "Something about Roger Buck and this alien chick who's played by Mikayla."

Nick gagged. "Mikayla? Ew. The movie sounds good, though. We should see it sometime."

"Guys! You'll never believe this! This article mentions something about Miley! Come on, look!" Kevin screeched excitedly.

"What does it say?" Joe asked curiously, as he and Nick made their way over to Kevin.

"It says, _'Malibu hasn't seen Mr. Ryan since he last visited in late 2007, when he visited his non-famous girlfriend, Malibu resident Miley Stewart. Now that they're over, what other reasons could Mr. Ryan have for visiting Malibu_?'" Kevin read.

Joe blinked. "Wait a minute, Jake and Miley went out?"

"Whoa," Nick began. "I think I remember seeing something on TV about them a long time ago, back when we didn't know Miley."

"This is crazy!" Joe shrieked. "And he's back in town! What am I going to do?"

"Calm down, Joe." Kevin said. "I'm sure you have nothing to worry about."

* * *

"Hello?" Joe said into his phone.

"Joe? It's Miley."

"Oh, hey!" Joe grinned as he heard her voice. "What's going on?"

Miley sighed and cleared her throat. "Listen, do you think you could meet me at the beach tonight?"

"Sure, of course. Is anything wrong?" he asked with a hint of concern.

"Just meet me at the beach, okay? Does eight o'clock sound okay?"

Joe raised his eyebrows in worry, "Eight o'clock sounds fine." he replied, with an awkward silence closely following. "So, I guess I'll see you at eight?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. I love you, Miley." Joe said desperately.

Miley sighed. "Back at you."

Joe's heart sunk as he hung up. Why had Miley been so out of it lately? Had he done something wrong? If so, what had he done to make her so upset? Whatever it was, he was determined to find out, and he was determined to fix it.

* * *

"Joe, honey, are you okay?" Denise asked as her son madly scrolled through his texts.

"I think Miley's mad at me, Mom. She's been so distant lately, and I just don't know what's going on. I'm looking through all the texts I've sent her to see if I said anything that might've made her upset."

Denise looked at her son, "Aw, honey. Just give her some space. I'm sure she'll come around."

"But what if she doesn't?!"

"Honey, you're panicking." Denise laughed.

"But with good reason." Joe countered.

Denise chuckled and pulled her son in for a hug. "Honey, trust me. Everything will be okay. I would know, I was a teenage girl once."

Joe snorted, "Yeah, but that was a _looong_ time ago."

"Joseph," Denise warned.

"Sorry Mom."

"Anyway, my point is, Miley needs space. She needs time to be herself. And as her boyfriend, you've got to give her that."

Joe nodded, "Okay. Thanks Mom."

Denise grinned as she stood up, "Anytime, sweetie. I'm always here."

Joe reached for the remote and clicked the TV on, leaning back as the _Malibu Now _program started. He rolled his eyes as Samantha Hilton's annoying voice filled the room:

"_Are Jake Ryan and infamous ex-girlfriend Miley Stewart back together?_"

"WHAT?!" Joe screamed at the TV.

"_Earlier this afternoon, once-lovebirds Jake and Miley were spotted leaving Starbucks together. Miley even rode home in Jake's car!_" Samantha squealed.

"Are you frickin serious?!" Joe steamed.

"_But Miley was recently brought back into the spotlight for dating another teen heartthrob, Joe Gray, of the Gray Brothers. Does this mean they're over? More details on tomorrow's Malibu Now!_"

"No…" Joe croaked, barely above a whisper.

* * *

**To: Miley**

**From: Joe**

**I can't believe you Miley. You and Jake? Wow. **

Miley sighed as she read the message. She could tell things weren't going to get any easier from now on. She was confused, Jake kept pursuing her, and Joe was mad. Great. She looked up at the clock; 7:51 pm.

**To: Joe**

**From: Miley**

**Like I said, meet me at the beach. 8:00.**

* * *

Joe dragged his feet across the sand before looking out to the waves. It was dark, and all you could sense was the sound of waves crashing against the rocky shore. He checked the time on his phone, 8:09 pm. He didn't care that he was late; he wasn't looking forward to seeing Miley. He looked up, spotting Miley sitting on a blanket with a flashlight in her hand. She saw him as well, and waved him over.

"Joe!"

Reluctantly, Joe jogged over to Miley at sat down on the blanket. "Hey," he said blankly.

"We need to talk." she told him.

"I know. You'd better start talking"

"Look, Joe. What you saw on TV about me and Jake, it wasn't what you thought. He was back in town, and we were just catching up. You can trust me on that." Miley explained.

Joe sighed, "Are you sure I can trust you on that?"

Miley breathed deeply, "Joe, you're telling me that you've never hung out with an ex before?"

"You're right, I'm sorry." Joe said.

"But, there's something else I need to say."

"Yeah…?" Joe asked patiently.

"Are you sure you love me, Joe?" Miley asked nervously.

Joe raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Of course I'm sure. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because…" Miley began, before trailing off into silence. She looked up at the night sky, which was once again sprinkled with stars. Stars had always been present during each of Miley and Joe's relationship milestones: First kiss, Joe naming a star after her, and their first admittance to loving each other. Miley had the urge to curse at the sky; this was definitely going to be a milestone for them, but in no way a good one.

"Miley…?" Joe asked, fear evident in his voice.

"Oh, sorry." Miley said.

"You asked me if I was sure I loved you," Joe began. "Why? D-do you n-not love me?"

Miley tried her hardest not to cry. "It's not that, Joe."

"Then _what_ is it?" Joe asked, putting a finger underneath her chin and bringing her gaze to his. "Tell me."

Miley lost the battle with her tears, as it became evident that she was crying. "There's easy way to say this, Joe…"

Joe's eyes widened as he realized what has happening. "Oh God, no. Miley, please-"

"Listen to me, Joe." Miley interrupted him. "Be honest, am I the first girl you've ever _loved_?"

Joe nodded. "Y-Yeah." he squeaked out.

Miley sniffled, "Well, you're the first boy I ever truly fell in love with. And I don't want you to be just another one of my past relationships."

"Me neither." Joe quietly agreed.

Miley cupped Joe's face in her hands, "You are so special to me Joe. And if we love each other, I want this to be the real thing. Not just puppy love."

"Where are you going with this?" Joe asked.

Tears cascaded down Miley's flushed cheeks as she braced herself to continue, "We won't know how much our love really means to us if we've never loved anyone else."

"So are you saying that—"

"I'm saying we should take a break, Joe." Miley said, the words finally off her chest. "We should mingle a little, you know? And when you think you've found another special person, come back and tell me how you feel about us then."

Joe began to sob silently, "But Miley…"

"We can do this, Joe. Just give it a try. There's gotta be someone else out there that can make you happy, like I did."

"Like you _do_." Joe corrected her. "Please, Miley, don't do this to me. To _us_."

Miley sighed. "I have to, Joe. I've gotta see what else is out there. Don't make this harder then it has to be. You know I love you. But I see no point in love if we're unsure if it's going anywhere serious."

"But what if it _is _going somewhere, Miley? What if we get really serious? What if we end up getting married? What if we end up having six kids, a big house, and a Labrador? We don't know if that's going to happen, but what if it does?"

"That's the thing, Joe. I _need_ to know if my relationships are going somewhere."

Joe nearly screamed in anger. "But you're only sixteen, Miley. You have time to figure these things out. You don't need to do this now."

"This is something I need to do for myself, Joe. I need time to try other things and be who I am."

Joe couldn't believe his ears, that sounded almost exactly like the speech his mother had given him earlier that day. "So, you want to know if your relationships are going somewhere."

"Yes." Miley nodded. "In fact, I do."

He scoffed, "And you think you can do that with Jake Ryan? Oh, please. I've heard you guys have been on and off since 2006, and Lilly told me about the problems you guys have had in your relationship. That doesn't exactly scream 'meant to be' to me!"

Miley glared at him. "Can you stop being such an asshole, Joe? It's my life. Let me live it the way I want to."

"You're making a mistake, Miley. You _know_ you are. Don't do this."

Miley laughed, almost maniacally. "How pathetic, Joe. The last time I checked, you had no control over me. I'm not some puppet where you can pull strings and I obey your every command."

"Oh really, Miley? As your boyfriend, I thought I'd at least have the tiniest affect on you." Joe muttered.

"Ha!" Miley snorted. "As my boyfriend? As of now, I don't really know what you are anymore." She smiled deviously. "Oh, and you _never_ had any part in controlling what I did. Like I said, I'm not your puppet."

"Are you sure about that? What about that time I convinced you not to sneak out because you'd get grounded. Or that time where I stopped you from buying Lilly that necklace? Or when I stopped you from going to one of your Hannah things to go out with me? In a way, you _are_ my puppet."

Miley glared at him. "Well, now, those strings are cut. I'm not your damn puppet anymore, Joe."

"Lies." Joe muttered. "Lies!"

"What?" Miley asked, confused.

Joe stood up angrily. "You! You told me you loved me! It was all a lie, wasn't it? If you really loved me you wouldn't be doing this! You and your stupid 'mingling' and 'I gotta see what's out there.' If you really loved me that wouldn't matter!" He took a moment to catch his breath before clutching his fists. "I thought you were special, Miley. I don't care if I've never loved a girl before you. All I knew is that you stood out from the rest of my past girlfriends. You were the only one who laughed at all my jokes. You were the only one who didn't mind that I was a total klutz. You were the only one who told me they loved me, and actually meant it. Until now."

Miley was shocked at Joe's random outburst. "Joe—"

"Shut up, Miley." Joe said harshly. "Save your drama for Jake Ryan. He's an actor. He'll love it."

* * *

**A/N: You guys probably hate me right now. But this is what had to happen. **

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	12. Video Girl

**A/N: Hey guys! I just want to warn you that I changed the Jonas Brothers' last name _again_. Instead of Lucas, I switched their last name to Gray. It was just easier that way. And by the way, I really hope I'll get some of my old readers back. So if you know anyone who read the original _You Just Don't Know It_ before it was deleted, let them know it's been reposted! Thank you to all my readers and reviewers!**

"Jake, where are you taking me?!" Miley laughed, as Jake had her blindfolded.

Jake shushed her as he led her through a door. "It's a surprise, Miley. Now keep quiet or you're going to ruin it."

Miley giggled as she was mysteriously escorted through a dark hall, nearly tumbling over whenever Jake led her through a turn. "Jake," she said impatiently.

"Okay, okay." Jake chuckled, untying the blindfold. "Ta-da!" he chimed, as he revealed a hall full of teenage girls.

"Where are we?" Miley asked confusion evident in her voice.

Jake bit his lip in excitement, "We're at a Gray Brothers concert! I saw a few of their CD's at your house, so I figured you must be a fan!"

Miley's face grew pale. "Oh, great! Thanks, Jake. This is just what I needed."

"Oh?" Jake said with disappointment, as he noticed Miley's pallid expression. "Do you want me to take you home?"

"No, no, I'm fine." Miley replied. She was curious to see how Joe was holding up after their break up. "We can stay."

Jake smiled. "Great."

* * *

"Guys, you won't believe this," Kevin said breathlessly as he ran into the boys' dressing room.

"What is it, Kev?" Joe asked, as he struggled to fix his tie.

Kevin allowed himself to catch his breath before beginning to speak. "Girl…in the audience…"

Nick squinted, "What about a girl?"

Kevin panted, "Girl…with b-boy…arm around h-her…"

"Kevin!" Joe exclaimed impatiently. "Just tell us!"

"Miley is in the audience," Kevin explained. "…with Jake."

"This is perfect!" Joe shrieked.

Nick stopped buttoning his shirt and glared at his brother. "What do you mean, Joe? You told me you never wanted to see Miley again."

Joe laughed. "Aw, sweet little naïve Nick. That was _before_ I wrote that song about her. Now that Miley is in the audience, I can sing it, and she will realize the mistake she made by leaving me."

"Are you sure you want to do that, Joe?" Nick asked. "The song you wrote is pretty harsh."

"Yeah," Kevin added. "And half the stuff you wrote in it isn't even true. You really over exaggerated."

Joe scoffed. "Whatever. That's how I feel about her at the moment, and she needs to know that."

* * *

"Miley, you look nervous. I think we should go home." Jake suggested.

"Jake, for the thousandth time, I'm completely fine. We can stay, okay?" Miley said, annoyed.

"Okay," Jake said, holding his hands up in defense.

The lights dimmed and the crowd of teenage girls roared in high-pitched screams. Glow sticks were scattered throughout the audience and shirts reading 'I GRAY' were adorned on about every other girl. "GRAY! GRAY! GRAY!" The girls chanted as the countdown clock reached ten seconds. "Ten…nine…eight…"

Miley closed her eyes in anxiety, hoping to calm herself. _It's okay, Miley. It's just a concert. It's not like you're actually going to be talking to him or anything. You can do this._

"Good evening, Malibu!" Joe yelled as he and his brothers made their entrance.

The intro to a song unfamiliar to Miley began to play, and Joe looked her straight in the eye before saying: "This song is a new one. I wrote this song about a week and a half ago, and it's about a girl I'm deeply disappointed in." The crowd filled with 'oohs' and 'aahs' as they wondered what kind of girl would make Joe this upset.

_You met at work, you should've known better  
__It's gonna suck when the camera stops rolling  
__And you find out soon that the treatment wasn't worth it_

_They're all the same, they all want the money  
__They're all insane, they live for fame honey  
__They laugh at you when you're not even being funny_

Miley scowled as she comprehended the lyrics. "How could he?" she whispered to herself. She scanned Joe's eyes, which seemed to be full of anger and hurt. Her gaze then switched to Nick, who seemed to be struggling as he began to sing the next set of lyrics.

_Well I've been here before  
__And I've seen firsthand and front row seat  
__This little thing they call video girl_

Joe laughed almost evilly into his microphone before proudly singing the chorus.

_Video girl rocked my world  
__For a whole two seconds and now I know  
__I'm not about to be another victim  
__Of video girl syndrome_

_Get out my face, get out of my space  
__Get some class and kiss the past  
__Cause I'm not about to be another victim  
__Of video girl syndrome_

"I like this song," Jake said as he tapped his foot to the beat, completely oblivious to what was really going on.

"Of course you do," Miley said with a fake smile plastered on her face.

_You know it's bad when your momma doesn't like her  
__All you friends saying she's a liar  
__Never ending phone calls aren't enough  
__(It's not enough, it's never enough)_

_Move to LA, got no talent  
__Not even like you won a Miss Teen pageant  
__Daddy pays your bills but you still whine_

Nick shot an apologetic look towards Miley and winced before singing another set of lyrics.

_But I've been here before  
__And I've seen firsthand and front row seat  
__What happens to a man  
__When he gets in the hands of a…_

Joe jumped off of the stage and into the pit that separated the stage from the audience, touching the hands of a few lucky girls in the front row. He shot Miley a death glare before his voice seeped into the next chorus.

_Video girl rocked my world  
__For a whole two seconds and now I know  
__I'm not about to be another victim  
__Of video girl syndrome_

_Get out of my face, get out of my space  
__Get some class and kiss the past  
__Cause I'm not about to be another victim  
__Of video girl syndrome_

"The beat's catchy, huh?" Jake asked as he bopped his head to the music.

Miley stared at him. "Yeah, very catchy."

_You are never gonna see me missing  
__Video girl syndrome  
__I'm not gonna be another victim  
__Of video girl syndrome _

Joe jumped back onto the stage and motioned for the audience to clap their hands to the beat. "Sing along!"

"Great," Miley muttered to herself. Not only did she have to deal with Joe singing those piercing words, but she had deal with an entire room of obsessed fan girls singing with him.

_Video girl rocked my world  
__For a whole two seconds and now I know  
__I'm not about to be another victim  
__Of video girl syndrome_

_Get out of my face, get out of my space  
__Get some class and kiss the past  
__Cause I'm not about to be another victim  
__Of video girl syndrome_

_No I won't be a victim  
__Of video girl syndrome_

The entire mob of fan girls, along with Jake, screamed and applauded the boys' opening song. "Whoo! I loved it!" Jake screeched.

"Jake!" Miley snapped.

"What?" Jake asked innocently.

Miley shook her head and looked at her feet to hide the sadness in her face. "Nothing."

* * *

"Go ahead you guys, I'll just meet up with you in the van." Joe told his brothers as he packed his remaining items in a duffle bag. He paused as his hand reached for a small, framed photograph of him and Miley taken about a month before. He picked up the frame and studied the picture, nearly dropping it when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Hey Joe," Miley said, appearing at the doorway.

Joe's jaw nearly dropped. "Miley? What are you doing here? How did you—"

"Jake got us backstage passes." Miley interrupted him.

"Oh."

"Nice opening song," Miley said bitterly.

"You heard it?" Joe asked with fake innocence.

Miley glared at him, "I can't believe you, Joe."

"Me? I can't believe you! You're the one that left me for that blond ego maniac."

"This is not about Jake! This is about how you put your maturity to the test by writing that piece of shit you call a song." Miley fumed.

Joe scoffed. "I happened to have put my heart and soul into that song, for your information."

Miley laughed, "And yet, it still turned out like crap."

"You know the song is good, Miley. You're just upset that it's about you."

"Ha! So you admit the song is about me?"

Joe smiled arrogantly, "Proudly."

"I knew it! I knew it!" Miley's devious smile faded. "Wait a second, why am I happy about that? I got you to admit it, so what? That song is hurtful." Miley paused as she felt a few tears surfacing near her eyelids.

"Miley...?" Joe asked cautiously, as guilt began to boil inside him. "Are you okay?"

"You have no right to ask me if I'm okay!" Miley exclaimed angrily. "Especially after singing that song. Do you know how much that hurt, Joe? I know I left you for Jake, but you don't see me publicly humiliating you!"

Joe sighed. "Miley, I—"

"Not another word, Joe." Miley snapped. "I think I've heard enough today."

* * *

"It was humiliating," Miley cried as she sobbed into Lilly's chest.

"Aw, Miley. I'm so sorry." Lilly said as she soothingly rubbed Miley's shoulder.

Miley sniffled. "I just can't believe that Joe would do something like that. What did I ever do to deserve this?"

"Miley," Lilly began. "I know you're sad, and I know that what Joe did was wrong, but you can't really play the victim card here."

"I am not playing the victim card!" Miley shouted in defense.

Lilly shook her head. "Listen, Miley, don't you think that Joe had his reasons for singing that song in front of all those girls?"

"Like embarrassing me in front of the entire audience?" Miley asked.

"Come on, Miley. I can safely bet that the crowd didn't even know you were there. Seriously, dig deeper. Don't you think Joe may have sung that song to show you how much he misses you? Look past the anger and hate in that song. I think he was just venting his feelings through song. You two aren't on the best of terms at the moment, and I think he just needed to let some of his emotions out."

Miley snorted. "He could've been more subtle."

"I know, I know." Lilly soothed. "But just think about how he felt when you left him. It must've been so hard for him, Miles. Especially since you left him only a week after you told him you loved him. He must've thought that everything was going right between you two, and then out of the blue, you left him." she rambled.

"Lilly, you're not helping." Miley said.

"Sorry," Lilly replied. "I know I'm you're best friend, and I'm supposed to be on you're side, but think about what's in like in his shoes before you go off judging him."

"Are you saying that I should go talk to him?" Miley asked weakly.

"What do _you _think I'm trying to say?" Lilly asked before leaving Miley alone to her thoughts.

* * *

"Don't take my heart and put it on a shelf," Joe sang to himself as he strummed a few simple chords on his guitar. He took a breath, ready to sing another line as the doorbell rang. "It's open!" he hollered, setting his guitar on its stand.

"Hi," Miley said awkwardly, stepping into the foyer.

Joe stood still as Miley walked towards him. "Um, hey, c-can I help you?"

Miley nodded, "Actually, you can. Is it possible for us to be civil to each other for just a minute? I want to talk."

"Yeah," Joe said as they both sat down on opposite couches. "Look, Miley, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have written that song. I was just so angry, and I wrote that when our break up was hot off the press."

"I understand." Miley said meekly. "If I was the one who had been left, I probably would have done the same thing. But Joe, there's something else that I need to tell you."

Joe shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "Yeah?"

"Remember when I told you that we should see other people, and then come back and say how we feel about us?"

"Uh-huh," Joe replied nervously.

Miley cleared her throat awkwardly, "I like where I am with Jake. And I just thought that you had the right to know."

"Oh, okay." Joe said, nodding.

Miley got up from her seat and sat down next to Joe, taking a hold of his hands. "Joe, this doesn't mean I want to avoid you completely. Can we at least _try_ to be friends?"

Joe smiled faintly, "I'm sure I could try."

"Thanks, Joe. That means a lot." Miley said sincerely.

"No problem, video girl." Joe joked, with a goofy smile on his face.

"Hey!" Miley slapped him playfully before wrapping him a tight hug. "This is nice, you and me, friends again."

Joe's smile faded. "Yeah…friends."

**A/N: Yeah, I know, there isn't much Moe. I'm sorry for not getting them back together right away, but don't worry. Miley's heart will be broken soon, and someone (cough) will be there to pick up the pieces. **

**Review!**


	13. Right Here

"_Happy birthday, Joe." Miley purred in a seductive tone. _

_Joe stared at her in confusion. "Miley? What are you doing here? I thought—"_

"_Shhh," Miley shushed him. "Don't speak, just kiss me, Joe." she said with a suggestive twinkle in her eyes. _

"_Okay," Joe said goofily, leaning in. As his lips were about to touch hers, Miley stopped him and began yelling uncontrollably. _

"_JOE! JOE! WAKE UP!" she yelled in his ears, causing him to cringe. _

"What?!" Joe shouted as he shot up to a sitting position.

Miley laughed. "Were you dreaming, birthday boy?"

Joe grinned, "You have no idea. So what are you doing here?"

"It's your birthday, silly! We haven't hung out in _forever_, and since you're not having a party, I thought you and I should hang out."

"Don't you think that would be a little awkward, Miley? I mean…"

Miley chuckled. "Hey, we're still friends, right? We've got to get used to it eventually.

"Yeah," Joe nodded. "I guess you're right. So what exactly do you have planned?"

"First things first," Miley began. "I have something for you." She skidded to the corner of Joe's room and rummaged through her bag, pulling out a neatly wrapped gift. "Here you go," she said as she handed it to him.

Joe smiled. "Aw, Miles. You didn't have to get me anything."

"Alright, I'll just take it back, then."

"No!" he equipped. He slowly and carefully began to unwrap the gift, not wanting to rip the wrapping. He grinned from ear to ear as he held up the gift. "I love it, Miley." Joe let his fingers run across the smooth texture of his new solid gold watching, stopping when he felt the traces of an engraving. "An engraving?" he asked.

_Oh shit, an engraving_! Miley thought. Miley had ordered the watch two months before, when she and Joe had still been dating. A few weeks after they had parted, Miley had called in to cancel the order, but changed her mind, deciding whether or not they were dating, he still deserved a nice gift on his birthday. Too bad she had forgotten completely about the personalized engraving she had asked the watch company to do.

Joe turned the watch inside out and sat in confusion as he read the engraving:

_I love you. _

"I love you?" Joe asked in uncertainty.

Miley gulped. "Uh, yeah. I, um, ordered the watch months ago. The engraving doesn't mean anything now."

"I see." Joe said, nodding. "So…it doesn't mean…_anything_?" he asked with a slightly quavering voice.

"Oh, I didn't mean in that way, Joe. It _does_ mean something. A lot, actually. Just not in the same context as when we were together." Miley explained nervously.

Joe awkwardly slid the watch onto his wrist and shifted uncomfortably on his bed. "Thanks again, Miley."

Miley cleared her throat, "You're welcome."

The two sat in awkward silence as their gazes tried their best to avoid each other's eyes. No sound, aside from the occasional awkward cough, escaped from their mouths. The silence was almost deafening, slowly piercing the two until Miley's cell phone broke the silence.

"Hello?" she asked weakly, before her mood lightened. "Oh, hey Jake! Yeah, I gave him his present. That sounds great! Okay, see you then." Miley hung up and stuffed the phone in her pocket. She looked at Joe and smiled, "That was Jake."

"I could tell," Joe said, chuckling nervously.

"He's taking me down to the pier." Miley said as she gathered her things and placed them in her bag. "Is it okay if he picks me up here? He should be here in about twenty minutes."

Joe sighed. Miley had already forgotten that they were supposed to hang out today. Deciding not to protest, he nodded. "Sure."

* * *

"Good morning, birthday boy." Denise said. "I'm making you're favorite, chocolate chip pancakes!"

"Whoo-hoo," Joe said dully as he sat down at the breakfast table.

Miley happily skipped down the stairs, smiling at the busy woman working the griddle. "Hi, Mrs. Gray!"

Denise turned around in surprise. "Miley? What are you doing here? It's great to see you, sweetie!"

"Thanks, you too." Miley replied. "I was just dropping off Joe's birthday present."

"How sweet!" Denise chimed; unaware of the glares her son was giving her. "That's awfully nice of you, dear. Are you staying? I'm making chocolate chip pancakes."

Miley shook her head, "No, thanks, Mrs. Gray. I won't be here much longer. Jake's picking me up in about twenty minutes."

"Alright. Make yourself comfortable while you're here." Denise said before returning to the pancakes. "You seem unusually quiet today, Joseph. Are you feeling okay?"

"Just fine," Joe lied.

"You're not fine, honey. I can see it." Denise said as she set a stack of chocolate chip pancakes in front of him. "Would you feel better if you ate?"

Joe pushed the plate away, "I'm not hungry, Mom."

Denise looked at her son in worry and placed her hand on his forehead. "You're not warm, so it can't be a fever. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine!" Joe exclaimed, before the doorbell rang.

"There's Jake!" Miley squeaked excitedly. "I can't believe he's actually early." she laughed before opening the door.

"Hey Miley," Jake said, giving her a quick peck on the lips, and earning a growl from Joe.

"Joseph did you just growl?" Denise asked in concern.

Jake smiled at Joe and waved him over. "Happy birthday, dude. I got you something." Jake threw the sloppily wrapped gift towards Joe, who reluctantly caught it.

Joe ripped off the wrapping paper, frowning as the gift was revealed. "A mix-n-match socks kit. Awesome."

"Glad you like it!" Jake said as he wrapped an arm around Miley's shoulders. "Well, see you later!" he called as they exited the front door."

"I can't stand that guy!" Joe shouted in anger.

"Why?" Denise asked. "This mix-n-match socks kit is pretty cool, honey. It comes with over ten colors and patterns!"

Joe stared at his mother. "Don't you see, Mom? He stole Miley away from me!"

"He didn't _steal_ her away from you, Joe. It was Miley's choice to date him again. You need to respect her decisions."

"But _why_, Mom? Why? She told me she loved me! And then, out of the blue, Jake Ryan _happens _to be back in town and all of a sudden she's in love with him all over again."

Denise hugged Joe tightly. "Love doesn't always work out, honey. No matter how in love it seems you are, things can always fall apart."

Joe cried into his mother's shoulder. "We fell apart, and _I _fell hard."

* * *

"You got a little something on your nose," Jake said, motioning for Miley to wipe her nose.

"What?" Miley asked, before feeling the chocolate ice cream run down her nose. "Oh!" she laughed, quickly wiping up the mess.

Jake stretched out on the bench they were sitting on and grinned as Miley rested her head on his shoulder. "This is nice. You and me, watching the sunset,"

"Yeah, it's beautiful." Miley agreed, closing her eyes peacefully. Her second-long slumber was interrupted by an incoming text message on Jake's phone. Miley watched as Jake sneakily pulled out his phone and checked his message. "What's going on?" she asked him.

Startled, Jake jumped off of the bench. "Um, I have to go meet my dad at the movies."

Miley looked at him suspiciously, "You said you're dad left your mother before you were born."

"Oh! Haha…" Jake stammered. "What I meant was, I need to go meet my mom at…Sea World! Yeah, that's right, Sea World! I'll call you later, Miles."

"But, Jake—"

"Catch up with you later, Miley!" Jake said as he ran off without another word, leaving behind a confused Miley.

* * *

Miley sighed into the phone and shook her head, "…And then he just ran off without saying anything. He didn't even give me a reasonable explanation."

"Sounds suspicious," Joe told her, "What do you think is going on?"

"I really have no idea, Joe. I called him about an hour later to see if we could hang out later tonight, but he said he and his aunt were going ice skating. I don't know if I can believe him."

Joe raised an eyebrow, "What's so unbelievable about going ice skating with his aunt?"

"I spoke to his mom yesterday," she began. "She told me that all her sisters are living out of the country and that she hasn't seen them in years."

"Hm," Joe pondered. "What about his dad's side?"

Miley groaned, "Jake's never even met his dad. He dumped his mom and left her the minute she told him she was pregnant."

"Good choice," Joe muttered.

"What? I didn't hear you…"

Joe cleared his throat, "Oh, nothing. It was just a cough, that's all."

Miley let her head drop onto her pillow and sighed dramatically. "Do you think he's…cheating on me?"

"Aw, Miley." he said. As much as Joe hated the fact that Miley was with Jake, he couldn't help but hope that Jake wasn't cheating. Miley was a great girl, and she deserved the best. "Don't say that, you're jumping to conclusions. It could be anything. Maybe he's just not ready to tell you."

Miley nodded, "Yeah, you're right. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about."

"Everything should be fine," Joe reassured her.

"Joe?" Miley asked softly.

"Yeah?"

Miley gulped, "Thanks for everything. And thanks for letting me vent my problems to you. I really appreciate the fact that you're still here for me, even after…you know."

Joe sighed. "No problem."

* * *

The next day, Miley found herself waiting alone in the food court of the Sea View mall. She took out her iPhone and checked the time, Jake was over an hour late. She was about to pick up her stuff and leave when Jake ran up to her, out of breath. "Jake? You're over an hour late!" Miley scolded.

"Sorry," Jake said breathlessly. "I was just busy wrapping up a scene. It won't happen again, I promise."

Miley rolled her eyes. "Alright, I believe you."

Jake stopped panting and stared her. "Why wouldn't you believe me?"

"I'm sorry, Jake." Miley said, her attitude softening. "The past few days, you've been kind of—is that a hickey on your neck?!"

"What?" Jake asked, quickly covering his neck.

Miley knitted her eyebrows together, "That bright red spot on your neck right there, is that a hickey? Because if it is, I sure as heck didn't give it to you." she said suspiciously.

"Oh, that!" Jake exclaimed, laughing nervously. "That—that's just the result of an accident I had with the handheld vacuum cleaner this morning. I was cleaning the pet bed, and I felt a dust bunny in my hair. So as I reached up to scratch my head, the vacuum cleaner started sucking on my neck, and my mom had to pry it off."

"The vacuum cleaner?" Miley spat. "The vacuum cleaner?! Jake, do you really expect me to believe that?"

Jake huffed, "Are you saying that you don't _trust_ me? I can't believe you, Miley! I thought our relationship was based on chemistry, affection, and trust! Maybe I was wrong," Jake recited, his acting skills coming in handy.

"You're right, Jake. I'm sorry, I should have trusted you." Miley said solemnly. "So, now that you're here, do you want to grab a bite to eat?"

"No, I'm stuffed." Jake replied, patting his stomach for effect.

Miley scoffed, "What? You're full? When you asked me to meet you at the mall, you said you wanted to have lunch."

"Oh…" Jake drawled. "Well, I f-forgot and ate at home before meeting up with you."

"You said you just came back from filming a scene." Miley corrected him. "Jake, tell me the truth. _What is going on_?"

Jake, drowning in his lies, couldn't think of another excuse. "Let's eat, shall we?"

* * *

_Is Jake cheating on me_? Miley thought to herself as she strolled along the shores of the empty beach. _All the signs are there. But, there's always the possibility that it could be something else_. "Who am I kidding?!" Miley said aloud. "He _has _to be cheating, he _has _to." Miley's little outburst was interrupted by her cell phone informing her of an incoming text message. She groaned, scrolling through her inbox and selecting the message.

**To: Miley**

**From: Jake**

**Thinking about you :)**

Miley smiled at the message. _If he took the time in his 'busy' schedule to remember me and send me a text, whatever he's doing can't be that bad, right_?" Miley, being the gullible soul she was, decided to believe Jake's gesture and continue her private walk down the beach. "He's thinking about me, he's thinking about me," she sung quietly to herself. Miley looked up the puffy clouds rolling by, smiling at how serene everything looked. For the moment, everything was back on track, until she heard Jake's voice a small distance away.

"Oh honey, stop it!" Jake said, laughing.

"I won't stop until you kiss me!" a female voice much too familiar shouted.

Miley curiously followed the voices, stopping dead in her tracks when Jake and the other girl were revealed. "Jake!" she yelled.

"Miley?" Jake asked. "This isn't what you think—"

"Lilly?!" Miley asked in shock. "I can't believe you!"

The two culprits stood speechless, unable to come up with a fair excuse. Lilly, hoping to break the ice, spoke up. "Miley, what we did was wrong, but—"

Miley ran off in tears before Lilly could finish her sentence. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew she wanted to get away…_fast_. After running for a mere number of minutes, Miley felt a sharp pain in her side. She ignored it and kept running, hoping to get as far away as possible from the two people she considered _friends_. The tears kept coming strong as her feet padded across the grainy and coarse texture of the sand. She fought back another urge to stop running, and pushed herself even more, until she abruptly collide into a strong figure.

"Miley?" Joe asked. "What's wrong?"

"Jake, Lilly…k-kissing, Jake ch-cheating, m-me…h-heartbroken…" she cried.

Joe wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "It's okay, I'm right here."


	14. Better Left Unsaid

**I have to warn you, this chapter is kind of weird. It starts off like any other chapter. But about halfway through, it becomes a songfic. Just thought I'd warn you so you don't get _too _confused. The song is "On the Line" by Demi Lovato & the Jonas Brothers. **

**I gotta say, I like Demi now..._a lot_. She doesn't seem so bad anymore, and she & Miley seem to be on a good level. I'm still not fond of Selena, though. **

* * *

"I can't believe Jake did that," Joe said sincerely. "…and with Lilly of all people. I don't know how many times I can tell you that I'm sorry, Miles." Joe whispered, stroking Miley's hair.

Miley sniffled, "A-And, I d-don't even have a b-best fr-friend t-to run to!" she choked out.

Joe shook his head, "It's okay. You have me. I'm here for you, remember?" Joe said, pulling her closer.

"Do you think Lilly and I will ever be able to be friends again?" Miley whimpered, snuggling deeper into Joe's chest for comfort.

"I don't think you should rush back into a friendship too quickly. She needs to know that what she did isn't something that can be forgiven easily. I think you should talk about what happened, though. And if she seems truly sorry, then you can tell her that you're ready to try to build a friendship again." Joe explained.

"Yeah, you're right." Miley agreed, her tears beginning to slow down. She sniffled once more and blew her nose in Joe's shirt, blushing as she looked up at him. "Sorry."

Joe chucked, handing her a tissue. "Yeah, that's okay." he said, slightly disgusted.

Miley smiled faintly, "Thanks for everything, Joe. I'd probably be on the path of destruction right now if it weren't for you."

"There's no way I'd ever let you walk that path, Miles." Joe said, tightening his grip on her. He glanced at the clock and loosened his grip. "It's getting late, I should probably go."

"Oh, okay." Miley said with a hint of disappointment in her voice. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

Joe nodded, "See you tomorrow." He grabbed his jacket and was halfway out the door when he turned around slowly. "Call me if you need anything, Miley."

Miley grinned weakly, "Will do." The second Joe had left; Miley felt a sense of loneliness wash over her, which was weird considering Jackson and Robbie were right upstairs. Miley looked down at her left hand, which lay awkwardly by her side. Only a minute ago, that hand had been clutching onto Joe. She had never felt depressed whenever Jake had left. Miley clutched her fists as the thought of Jake crossed her mind. She had definitely made a mistake when she had to choose between Jake and Joe. Joe had been nothing but loyal when they were together, and it was about time she got him back.

* * *

"Come on, Miley. Pick up the phone!" Lilly groaned and slammed her cell phone down on her bed. She had been trying to reach Miley for two days straight, unsuccessfully. Deciding to attempt one last time, Lilly picked up her cell phone and punched in Miley's number. Tapping her foot impatiently, she let her mind wander until her thoughts were broken by a voice on the other line.

"What do you want, Lilly?" Miley asked, barely above a whisper.

"Miley, we need to talk. Now, before you interrupt me, just let me explain. I know I did something very wrong and you have every right to be—"

"Stop, Lilly." Miley interrupted. "I don't think this is something we should be discussing over the phone. I think this needs to be handled in person."

Lilly bit her lip. "Alright. Meet me at Rico's in ten minutes."

* * *

"Why, Lilly? How could you do this to me? The last time I checked, you were utterly repulsed by Jake!" Miley exclaimed.

Lilly gulped, "I'm sorry, Miley. I don't know how this all happened.

Miley scoffed. "What do you mean you don't know? You obviously had something to do with this; you didn't _accidentally _have an affair with my boyfriend!"

Lilly stood up angrily. "Just give me a chance to explain! One day, when I was on my way to visit you, I found Jake sitting on your front porch. I asked him what he was doing, and he said he was waiting for you and he needed someone to run lines with."

"I'm listening," Miley said as she folded her arms across her chest.

"I told him that I would be able to run lines with him, so we went back to his house and did a few scenes. Then, we came across a romantic zombie scene and I thought we should stop, but he said that it was the scene he needed to practice the most. I went along with it, but then the script said that the two characters had to kiss. Something came over me and I kissed him, and he kissed me back."

Miley shook her head, "I can't believe this. But how did one little kiss turn into a whole affair between you two? That's what I would like to know."

Lilly sighed, "I honestly don't know, Miley. We just kept secretly meeting up with each other, and one thing led to another. Again, I'm sorry."

"Why'd you do it, Lils? Didn't you ever think about how I might have felt while all this was happening?"

"At first, I thought, 'this is wrong, I shouldn't be doing this.' But then, for some sick reason, I thought it was okay, because I figured you and Joe would get back together anyway." Lilly explained.

Miley rubbed her temples. "I don't know what to say, Lilly. I wish I could just cheer up and forgive you, but I can't. This is going to take some time."

Lilly placed a hand on Miley's shoulder, "I understand. I did something wrong and I need to face the consequences. If it makes you feel any better, I'm never going to see Jake again."

"But why? Apparently, you two seem to like each other." Miley snorted.

"Because…" Jake said, appearing behind Miley. "I want you back."

Miley stared at him. "What makes me thing you'll _ever _get me back, Jake?"

Jake looked at her with solemn eyes. "Please, Miley. Just give me a second chance, I'm begging you."

Miley laughed almost evilly. "A second chance? A second chance?! I've given you, what? _Three _chances already? I'm _done_ with giving you chances, Jake. Not only am I done with that, I'm also done with you. I think I've been with you long enough to know that it's never gonna work out."

"Miley, one more chance. Please?" he pleaded.

"Get away from me." she demanded. "Now.

"But, Miley—"

"Get. Away. From. Me." she repeated, with more force this time.

Jake scoffed, "Are you serious?"

"Get away from me, you two-timing bastard!" Miley yelled as loud as she could. Jake, nervous from all the stares that people were giving him, scrambled out of Miley's sight without another word. Miley turned to Lilly, who smiled shyly. Miley chuckled, "And that's the way Miley Ray rolls."

* * *

"Joe, open up!" Miley yelped desperately, standing outside of the Gray household in the pouring rain. The sound of footsteps stampeding down the stairs could be heard, along with the shuffling of feet as Joe raced to get the door.

The door swung open, and Joe stood there gazing at her. "What are you doing here, Miley?" he asked, ushering her inside.

"I just wanted to see you. Is that a crime?" she asked shyly as she rubbed her hands together for warmth.

Joe laughed slightly. "Sorry, I didn't mean it that way. Have you talked to Lilly yet?" he asked as he hugged her, attempting to warm her up.

Miley nodded, "Mhm. We talked earlier this afternoon before the rain started."

"And how did that go?"

Miley shrugged. "We're not exactly in best friends mode just yet. But I think we're getting there." she said with a smile creeping onto her face.

Joe smiled, "That's good. And what about Jake? Have you heard from him?"

Miley gagged. "Don't even get me started, Joe." She plopped down onto their couch and motioned for Joe to sit down next to her. "Can I talk to you about something, Joe?"

"Yeah…?" Joe said slowly as he sat down next to her.

"Have you ever thought about…picking up where we left off?" she asked nervously.

Joe sighed. "I don't know, Miley."

"What?!" Miley asked in shock. "But I thought you wanted to get back together! Now that we have the chance, you're refusing?" she asked weakly.

"I'm not refusing, Miley. It's just, you really hurt me when you left me for Jake. And now that he's hurt you, I don't want you to take me back just because I was a shoulder for you to cry on."

Miley couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You're much more than a shoulder to cry on, Joe. You _know_ that."

"I'm not saying no," Joe told her. "Let's just keep things the way they are for the moment, okay?"

"Okay." she sniffled.

* * *

"And then he said, 'I don't want you to take me back just because I was shoulder for you to cry on.' Can you believe him?!" Miley shrieked, pacing back and forth. "I was pretty much inviting him back into my arms, but he was just being too stubborn!"

"Uh-huh, yeah." Nick said, his eyes not leaving the TV.

Miley stopped in the middle of the living room floor, blocking the TV. "I just don't know why he's experienced a change of heart. Is he getting over me, Nick?" Miley asked.

Silence.

"Is he getting over me?"

More silence.

"Nick!" Miley snapped.

"What? Huh?" Nick asked, returning back to reality. "What did you say?"

Miley rolled her eyes. "Do you think Joe's getting over me?"

Nick stared at her in disbelief. "Are you serious, Miley? If I know _anything_, Joe's still crazy about you. I know he may be playing hard to get now, but that's only because you hurt him. It's a pride thing. He probably thinks he's damaged his pride enough by crying over the fact that you left him, and doesn't want to damage it even more by taking you back too easily."

"God damn it!" Miley exclaimed. "This is ridiculous. What do I have to do to show him I want him back?"

Nick shrugged. "Remember when you first met? Joe went through a lot just to show you that he liked you. He also went through a lot to make sure that you had the best sweet sixteen possible. He's done a lot for you, Miley. You're a great girl, Miley. But my brother's also a great guy. And as his brother, I think he only deserves top-notch girls. And our entire family thinks that you're the best girlfriend he's ever had. You're not a girl worth losing, and my brother isn't a guy worth losing. So I think it's time you fought for him."

* * *

"This is what you've been waiting for, Joe! How could you reject her?" Kevin asked his younger brother, shaking his head in disapproval.

"Look, Kevin, I just want to show her what I had to go through. I love her, but I want her to try a taste of her own medicine." Joe explained.

Kevin narrowed his eyes at Joe. "Do you have any idea how completely selfish and conceited you sound right now? I think the poor girl's been through enough, Joe! The guy _cheated_ on her. Is that enough medicine for you?"

"I just want her to know that she can't just take me back because she got hurt. What happens when the pain goes away? Will she just toss me to the side because she's healed? I'm taking precautions, Kevin. I can't risk her leaving me, again."

Kevin blinked. "Whoa, that actually made sense." he said in awe.

Joe huffed, "Can we be serious here, please?" He sighed, dropping down onto his bed and hugging his pillow. "I want her back, Kev. I _really _do. I just want her to come to me for the right reasons."

* * *

_**I didn't wanna say I'm sorry  
**__**For breaking us apart  
**__**I didn't wanna say it was my fault  
**__**Even though I knew it was**_

Miley lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling, when past memories came flooding through her mind. She felt incredibly stupid for leaving Joe for Jake. She should've known; her relationship with Jake failed twice, there was no way it would work a third time. Miley covered her head with a pillow as a memory too hard to let go of became present in her head.

_Miley was on her way to the Gray house when she spotted Joe lying on the grass across the street from the other neighborhood park. "Hey there," Miley said as she walked up to him. _

_Joe looked up at her and regained his composure. "Hey…" he said dully. _

"_Joe, I think we both know that we need to talk." Miley said seriously as she took a seat next to him on the grass._

_Joe sighed, "I know, and I'm sorry. When I found out you were Hannah, I was just shocked. I'm sorry that I yelled, Miley. I wasn't mad, I was only disappointed because…" Joe's voice slowly trailed off and he began to pick at the grass that sprouted near his legs. _

"…_Because you like me?" Miley finished for him. _

_Fear and embarrassment struck Joe in the heart as he heard Miley speak those words. How could she know? Nick told her, didn't he? "W-where did you get that idea?" Joe asked as casually as possible. _

_Miley looked down at her palms, "Nick told me. And don't get mad at him, I made him tell me. I have to admit, I was a little blown away when Nick told me the truth."_

"…_And you want me to get over my feelings because it will never happen. I get it." Joe said, not even bothering to look at her. _

_Miley sighed, "No. Not at all, Joe. I would never force you to get over your feelings. Because, now that I think about it, I might like you too." After a moment of awkward silence, Miley decided to take the first step. She breathed in, mentally preparing herself, and then exhaled. She leaned in and trapped Joe's lips in hers, starting to pull away as he wasn't kissing her back. Just as her lips were about to lose contact with his, she felt his hand on the back of her head, gently pulling her back towards him. She daringly kissed him again, feeling a rush of relief run through her when she felt him kissing back. And so the two sat there, letting their feelings flow out as soft, meaningful kisses._

Miley let the tears run free as she reminisced the starting point of their relationship, wondering how she ever led them into this mess.

_**I didn't want to call you back  
**__**Cause I knew that I was wrong  
**__**Yeah, I knew I was wrong**_

Joe pulled the covers over his head, groaning. He couldn't close his eyes for one second without a certain blue eyed brunette crossing his mind. He rolled out of bed and dragged his feet towards the window, the glimmer of a star catching his eye. He groaned, he knew it had to be the star he had named after Miley.

"_You see that one?" Joe asked as he pointed to a certain star in the sky. The two of them were in the backyard, lying in the same pool chair, gazing up at the night sky. "My dad and I would come out here and stargaze every night. Most of the time, that star would stand out from the others." _

"_Really?" Miley asked as she snuggled up to Joe._

"_Mhm." he replied. "People always ask me how I know if it's the same star. I just do." he explained as he ran his fingers through her hair. _

"_That's amazing." Miley commented, allowing the night breeze to flow through her curls. _

"_You see that one over there?" Joe asked, pointed to another star. _

"_Yeah, why?" Miley asked as she stifled a yawn. _

"_That star's called Miley." _

_Miley sat up, "W-what do you mean?" _

_Joe picked up a certificate from the fold-out table that lay next to the lawn chair. "I named it after you. It's actually called Star #Q33986LK97H4-Miley, but we'll just call it Miley." he chuckled. _

"_You named a star after me?" she asked excitedly. "That's so sweet!" _

"_It is…" Joe said in mock arrogance. His tone softened as he became more serious. "Now when I'm in my bed and missing you, I know there's a star named Miley shining down on me." _

_**One in the same, never to change  
**__**Our love was beautiful  
**__**We got it all, destined to fall  
**__**Our love was tragical **_

Miley wiped a few tears with her comforter, remembering everything they'd been through before they began dating.

"_Since you know Nick really well, could you help me…get with him?" she asked, batting her eyelashes._

_Joe was taken aback, "Help you? How? I'm not the matchmaking type."_

_Miley laughed, "Come on, Joe. Please, all I'm asking is that you maybe drop some hints? Tell me what he looks for in a girl." _

"_He likes gothic girls who dress in black." Joe joked. _

"_That's great. Now…the truth?" she asked expectantly. _

_Joe rolled his eyes. "He likes girls who are laid back. He's really interested in girls who are sensitive and know how to chill. He doesn't like it when girls are too hyper and crazy. I, on the other hand, am the complete opposite of that. I love girls who are hyper and aren't afraid to have fun." Joe said, dropping his own hint. _

"_I can be laid back," Miley said, more to convince herself than to reply to Joe. "I guess I do need to tone down my hyper-ness just a tad."_

"_You're perfect the way you are." Joe said._

_Miley smiled, "Nobody's perfect, Joe." she said in 'duh' tone. "You of all Hannah fans would know that." He smiled back and they shared a laugh. _

_**Wanting to call  
**__**No need to fight  
**__**You know I wouldn't lie  
**__**But tonight, we'll leave it on the line**_

Joe, deciding that he would not be getting any sleep any time soon, turned on TV and flipped through the channels. Sure enough, Miley, as Hannah Montana, appeared on the screen. Joe chuckled lightly, remember how shocked he had been when Miley had revealed her secret.

_Miley stuffed her phone back into her purse and followed them out to the car. As soon as she got into the back seat and strapped herself in, she decided it was the right time. She looked out the window to see if there were any photographers or passersby. "Guys, I have something to tell you." _

_Joe, who was thinking about Miley, was shaken out of his thoughts by Miley's voice. "What is it, Hannah?" _

_Miley smiled faintly at Nick before taking a deep breath. She gulped, "I'm Hannah Montana…" she informed. _

_The boys shot her a 'no duh' look. _

_She ran her fingers through her wig before continuing on. "…but I'm also someone else." She looked at each of the three boys, taking in the strange looks they were giving her. Her shivering hands grabbed the roots of her wig, slowly loosening her grip when she began to have second thoughts. Deciding it was too late, she pulled the wig off her head and closed her eyes tightly. When she opened them, her vision revealed Kevin, Joe, and Nick staring at her in awe. Miley's voice shook as she started speaking again, "My name is Miley…and I live a double life as Hannah Montana."_

_**Never would have said forever  
**__**If I knew it'd end so fast  
**__**Why did you say 'I love you'  
**__**If you knew that it wouldn't last?**_

Miley wrapped herself tightly in layers of sheets and blankets, watching as the ceiling fan spun round and round in endless cycles. The darkness continued to swarm around her, with the only sound coming from the light blowing of the cool air from the ceiling fan. She still couldn't believe the mess she had gotten herself into. She thought back to simpler times, when all she needed to worry about was Hannah's album sales, like the time when she first met Joe.

"_Thank you, Malibu! Good night!" Miley blew one last kiss to her cheering fans before rushing backstage. She grabbed a chilled water bottle off the nearby concession table and took a long sip. _

"_Hey Hannah, there's some boys who'd like to meet you." said Robbie Ray, leading three boys to her daughter. _

_Miley near choked on her water as she caught sight of the three boys standing in front of her. "Oh my gosh, hi!" she squealed. "I'm Hannah Montana; it's so nice to meet all of you." She shook all of their hands before turning to Nick. "I'm especially excited to meet you Nick." _

_Nick shrugged and grinned. "Thanks."_

"_Thanks? Thanks? Is that all you can say? How can you be this calm? Nick, it's Hannah Montana!" Joe exclaimed, placing his hands on Nick's shoulders._

_Kevin gently pushed Joe to the side. "You'll have to excuse him, Hannah. He's a little hyper. You did an amazing job, great concert."_

_Miley blushed at the sweet comment. "That's so sweet, thank you. What did you think of the concert, Nick?" _

"_It was really good." he replied._

_Miley's heart sunk. She knew Nick meant that he liked the concert, but she was hoping for a little more chemistry between them. After all, they were very close in age. She decided to shake it off and turned to Joe. "What did you think, Joe?"_

"_I thought it was awesome. You were beautiful." Joe told her honestly. _

_**Baby, I just can't hear what you're saying  
**__**The line is breaking up  
**__**Or is that just us?  
**__**Or is that just is?**_

Joe sat on his bedroom floor, thinking about his actions. Was it right for him to hold off on getting back together with Miley? Yeah, she was heartbroken. But wouldn't she need him most at a time like this? Joe placed his head in his hands, sighing heavily. He had never met anyone like Miley before. Most girls had been annoyed by his overly energetic personality, but Miley didn't care. She had a crazy and hyper personality to match his.

"_Joe, just let me eat it!" Miley shouted as she and Joe were in front of their new favorite spot, Pinkberry._

"_You'll have to work for it," Joe teased as he held the spoon away from Miley's face. _

_Miley gazed longingly at her favorite Pinkberry dish: original topped with fruity pebbles and strawberries. "GIVE ME THE FREAKING YOGURT!" Miley shouted impatiently. _

"_You'll have to kiss me first." Joe told her as he brought the spoon closer to her face._

_Miley sighed, "Fine." She pushed herself on her toes, as high as he sneakers would allow her to, and pressed her face against Joe's. Instead of kissing him, she quickly grabbed the frozen yogurt and made a run for it. _

_Joe's jaw dropped, "Miley Stewart! You are such a tease." he yelled as he started after her. _

"_Never said I wasn't one!" she yelled from a distance._

_**One in the same, never to change  
**__**Our love was beautiful  
**__**We got it all, destined to fall  
**__**Our love was tragical **_

Miley huffed as she threw the many layers of blankets off of her and rolled out of bed. She turned on her bedroom light and strode over to Hannah's closet. She opened the double doors and rummaged through her piles of clothes until she found the box she was looking for. She tossed the lid to the side and peeked in, taking out a few framed pictures of her and Joe. She regretted falling for Jake's trap. She regretted leaving Joe. She regretted even _considering_ leaving Joe. She needed him, and she needed him _now._

_**Wanting to call  
**__**No need to fight  
**__**You know I wouldn't lie  
**__**But tonight, we'll leave it on the line**_

Joe heard the slight vibration of his phone on his desk, and squinted his eyes to shield them from the bright light coming from the phone's screen. He rubbed his tired eyes and read the screen: _1 missed call – Miley_. He continued to stare at the phone's screen. What could Miley have possibly wanted at two o'clock in the morning? Deciding to shake it off and attempt to get some sleep, he set his phone on his desk and dropped onto his bed.

_**Try to call again and get your mailbox  
**__**Like a letter left unread  
**__**Apologies are often open ended  
**__**But this was better left unsaid**_

Miley tiptoed down the stairs, hoping she wouldn't wake up her father or Jackson. She quietly slipped on a pair of Ugg boots, and tightly wrapped herself in a trench coat, since the rain showed no signs of stopping. She grabbed her car keys off the key hook and was about to unlock the door when she realized there was no way she could drive away in her car without waking up her father. _Great, Daddy just had to get me the convertible with the unbelievably loud engine_. She placed her keys back onto the key hook and sneakily grabbed the keys to her father's car. _I'm sure he won't hear me driving this old thing_. She unlocked the front door as soundless as she could, and crept out the door, silently closing the door behind her.

_**One in the same, never to change  
**__**Our love was beautiful  
**__**We got it all destined to fall  
**__**Our love was tragical**_

Joe woke up to the faint sound of someone knocking at the door. He quietly tiptoed out of his room and walked past the others, finding everyone asleep. Was someone really knocking? Was he just hearing things? He was broken out of his thoughts when he heard the knock again. He questioned whether or not to get the door, considering it wasn't always safe to answer the door in the middle of the night. The knock came once more, and his curiosity getting the better of him, Joe slowly walked down the stairs. He dragged his feet across the wooden floor until reaching the door and pressing his eye against the peep hole. He gasped before carefully unlocking the door and slowly swinging it open.

_**Wanting to call  
**__**No need to fight  
**__**You know I wouldn't lie  
**__**But tonight, we'll leave it on the line**_

There stood Miley, soaking wet, a repentant look in her eyes. She sniffled before wrapping her coat more tightly around her waist. Her eyes locked with Joe's, as if she was begging for him to let her in. He stepped out of the way, making room for Miley to enter. Miley walked across the foyer, stopping when she heard Joe close the door. She turned around, and they stood staring at each other intently. Joe's eyes flickered from Miley's solemn eyes to her slightly parted lips, trying his best to keep from being tempted. Their eyes never left the other's gaze, as if they were speaking through their glares. Joe took a step forward, causing Miley to jump slightly. Miley, startled, began to back up until she hit a wall. Joe placed his hands on either side of Miley's head, pressing them against the wall. He forcefully pushed his lips onto hers, with Miley roughly kissing him back.

Some apologies are better left unsaid.


End file.
